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FILMS 


RADIO 


VIDEO 


MUSIC 


STAGE 

• 


'% 



. Published Weekly at 154 West 46th Street, New York 36, N. Y., by Variety, Inc. Annual subscription, $10. Single copies, 25 cents. 
Entered as second-class matter December 22, 1905, at the Post Office at New York. N. Y.» under the act o£ March 3, 1879. 
COPYRIGHT. 1956, BY VARIETY, INC., ALL RIGHTS RESERVED 


Vol. 202 No. 5 

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 4, 1956 

PRICE 25 CENTS 



New Gotham Tax Grab in The Wings; 
City Eyes Legit B. 0., Film Rentals 


WAX INDUSTRY’S 


H’woods New Cycle: Sagebrushers 
Will Not Wind Up Kissing the Hoss 


New York City is now trying to 4 
collect a sales tax on the theatre’s ' 
share of the boxoffice gross of 
Broadway shows. According to tax 
officials, the levy may also be ap¬ 
plied to the “rental” on film 
houses. 

The new sales tax rap is not to 
be confused with the present 5% 
local admissions levy (which is in 
addition, to the 10% Federal tax 
and was imposed immediately after 
the latter was reduced from 20%), 
but is an extra bite^ applying only 
to the' theatre’s slice of the b.o. 
receipts. 

The whole situation involving 
the new extensioif of the local 
sales tax is wrapped in mystery. 
Broadway managerial circles have 
only sketchy knowledge of it, and 
that tends to be contradictory. 
Even tax officials are rather vague 
on the subject, and suggest that 
queries be sent in writing to the 
Bureau of Excise Taxes. 

One City official declared yes¬ 
terday (Tues.) that “there’s nothing 
new” about levying a sales tax on 
the theatre share of boxoffice rev¬ 
enue, adding that the law had been 
in effect since 1947, He declined 
to allow his name to be used. An¬ 
other official who requested anony¬ 
mity asserted that although the 
law in question is several years 
old, the b.o. angle is a new appli¬ 
cation. 

Neither official questioned was fa¬ 
miliar with the new ruling. One 
explained his ignorance by saying 
that an official memorandum had 
not yet come through on it. The 
other turned away from the phone 
(Continued on page 61) 


‘Ten Days,’ Hitler Film, 

To Bow in U.S. Via Col; 
Majors’ 1st German Pic 

The first German picture to ibe 
handled by a major American dis¬ 
tributor since the war launches 
April 10 when the Overseas Press 
Club sponsors the premiere of 
‘‘The Last Ten Days” at the World 
Theatre, N. Y. 

Film, made in Austria, is a semi¬ 
documentary retelling of Hitler, 
ne Schickelgruber, in his steel- 
and-concrete bunker deep below 
the Reich Chancellery in Berlin. 
Pic is being handled by Columbia 
Pictures’ special films division un¬ 
der Edward L. Kingsley. It’s a Col* 
coproduction. 

.“Last Ten Days” (formery 
called “The Last Act”) is the first 
of the German-made Hitler films to 
reach this country. Several others 
are on the way, including two on the 
July 20, 1944, attempt on Hitler’s 
life. “Ten Days” is being watched 
with interest by the other distribs 
as a clue to the kind of interest 
that exists in the Hitler topic. Two 
other majors—Warner Bros, and 
Universal—have German pix, but 
(Continued on page 63) 1 


Haley Rocks 4th Disk 
Into 1,000,000 Circle 

Bill Haley & His Comets, a com¬ 
bo which has been among the 
prime movers of the rock 'n’ roll 
cycle, have again hit the golden 
circle of bestsellers with their 
Decca etching of “See You Later, 
Alligator.” 

It’s the crew’s fourth platter to 
go over the 1,000,000 marker in 
sales. First was “Crazy, Man, 
Crazy,” then “Rock Around The 
Clock” and “Shake, Rattle and 
Roll.” “Rock Around The Clock,” 
incidentally, is now at the 2,000,000 
plateau. 


Share Separation 
Prompts Exercise 
Of Loew Options 

With the date approaching for 
the split of Loew’s Inc. stock into 
separate shares for the theatre 
company and the production-dis¬ 
tribution company, Loew’s execu¬ 
tives are beginning to exercise 
stock options which they’ve held 
since 1951. In a package deal, a 
total of 170,000 shares were re¬ 
cently picked up at a cost of 
16 7/16 per share, the purchase 
price specified in the stock option 
plan approved by the stockholders 
on March 15, 1951. The transac¬ 
tion involved an outlay of over 
$2,700,000. 

The purchase by the Loew’s 
execs is said to have been financed 
by hotel chain operator Arnold S. 
(Continued on page 54) 

300,000 Tint Set Sale 
. This Year: Goldsmith 

Some 300,000 color sets will be 
sold this year and that number 
will “undoubtedly triple” in 1957, 
RCA consultant Dr. Alfred N. 
Goldsmith predicted last week. 
Speaking at the color film forum 
of the National Television Film 
Council (of which he’s chairman of 
the board) at the Hotel Delmonico, 
N. Y., Dr. Goldsmith asserted that 
the industry estimated that by 1960 
color sets sales will equal those 
of black and white sets. 

Projecting still further, Dr. 
Goldsmith declared that by 1965, 
color television would be “stand¬ 
ardized” hnd the black and white 
video would be “specialized—per¬ 
haps for use only by the color 
blind.” He said. that RCA’s tube 
factory in Lancaster is currently 
geared to turn out between 3,000 
and 6,000 tint tubes a week. 


The disk industry is heading for 
its greatest year in 1956 and may 
wind up with a retail gross of 
$300,000,000 for the 12-month 
period if the current pace is sus¬ 
tained. Trade optimism is cued by 
the fact that the four major com¬ 
panies, RCA Victor, Columbia, 
Decca and Capitol, all enjoyed 
peak grosses last year and have 
been travelling at an even better 
clip ’for the first quarter of this 
year. 

While Victor and Columbia, due 
to their corporate integration with 
RCA and CBS respectively, do not 
break down their annual disk take 
in specific figures, both companies 
reported record-breaking grosses 
for 1955. Decca sales were over 
$22,600,000, up 20% over 1954, 
while Capitol sales climbed some 
30% over the $21,000,000 total. 
Both Columbia, which includes 
phono sales, and RCA Victor’s disk 
division are understood to gross 
in excess of $30,000,000 each annu¬ 
ally. The latter diskeries, of course, 
are particularly strong in the long¬ 
hair field. 

The take of the major companies 
keeps climbing despite the fact 
that numerous independent labels 
are now active in the business, both 
in the pop and longhair markets. 
The indies, such as Dot, have pro- 
continued on page 61) 

Gilbert Charges 
ASCAP Control 
By ‘Powerhouse’ 

ASCAP’s general membership 
meeting at the WaltTctrf-Astoria 
Hotel, N. Y., yesterday (Tues.), was 
rocked by strongest blast against 
the Society's alleged domination by 
a small group of publishers ever 
let loose in public by a board 
member. L. Wolfe Gilbert, ASCAP 
Coast rep who was passed over as 
nominee for the Society’s prexy by 
the writer-members of the board, 
ripped at a so-called “powerhouse,” 
a combination of top publishers 
who were charged with controlling 
the destiny of the Society. 

While charges against the 
ASCAP administration have been 
common in past membership meet¬ 
ings from dissidents in the ranks, 
(Continued on page 16) 


Chez Hep 

Planning-for-the-future. dept.: 

Patio Bruno, Italian^eatery 
on W. 55th St„ N. Y., fre¬ 
quented by the radio-tv crowd, 
has changed its name to Club 
Prince Rainier IV. (What if it’s 
a girl?—~Ed.) 


Has Sponsor, Will TV 
Grace-Rainier Nuptials 

A half-hour television “special” 
covering the Grace Kelly-Prince 
Rainier III wedding, from the de¬ 
parture of the U.S.S. Constitution 
to Monaco till the start of the 
honeymoon, will be presented on 
CBS-TV April 21, complete with 
sponsor. Though all the radio net¬ 
works have scheduled sponsored 
coverage of the nuptials, this is the 
first such tele coverage slated. 

Program will air Saturday night 
at 11-11:30 p.m., and will be spon¬ 
sored by Maybelline, the eye- 
makeup marketer. David Schoen- 
brun and Blair Clark from Paris, 
and Lou Cioffi from Washington 
will handle commentary. 

Peak 200G B.O. 
Seen for B’klyn 
Rock ¥ Roller 

Indications point to a record 
$200,000 gross for the 10-day en¬ 
gagement of Allan Freed's rock ’n’ 
roll show at the Brooklyn Para¬ 
mount Theatre. It’s the the third 
date at this housd for the WINS, 
N. Y., disk jockey, and house man¬ 
ager Gene Pleshette anticipates a 
breakthrough into stratospheric 
heights. Freed holds the previous 
record with $154,000 for a single 
week during Labor Day ’week, but 
there seems to be a greater rush 
of business during this semester 
with the schools out for the Easter 
holidays. 

Pleshette estimated that the 
(Continued on page 63) 

‘Uncle Bud’Ward‘Sings’ 
(Taped) at Own Funeral 

Claudius (Uncle Bud) Ward, 55, 
who died last week, literally sang 
at his own funeral in Alexandria, 
Va., on Friday (30). 

Gospel singer and longtime local 
radio entertainer, Ward taped 
three hymns several weeks ago, at 
Johns Hopkirls Hospital, Baltimore, 
where he was dying of cancer. He 
said he wanted the. tape played 
at his funeral. Selections were 
“Tell It to Jesus Alone,” “The 
Touch of His Hand on Mine” and 
“Jesus Took My Burden and Left 
Me With a Song.” 

“Uncle Bud” began his “Nation¬ 
al Children’s Frolic,” a radio pro¬ 
gram over Station WMAL, in 
Washington, in 1933. It ran for 
several years. For the past 'eight 
years, he had a morning show over 
WPIK, in Alexandria. 


By GENE ARNEEL 

Hollywood is sexing up the west¬ 
erns; they’re not making ’em any 
more like the old days when the 
oater hero bussed only his hoss. 
It’s all been very gradual—sneaky 
like. 

In the era of Tom Mix, Tim Mc¬ 
Coy, Buck Jones and other stal¬ 
warts of the range, the Pauline in 
peril was properly rescued, the 
villains brought to book and the 
protector of righteousness, silent 
and noble, would ride off into the 
horizon. These knights of the 
plains had their juvenile audiences 
to think about and, in that middle 
age of the cinema, juveniles didn’t 
want their idols showing any weak¬ 
ness, particularly for girls. What 
he-man would want to play with 
girls? 

Then entered the stringed set. 
They’d run the rustlers out of 
town, save the homestead for the 
kindly old couple and mebbe shoot 
up a few howling redskins. But 
Cjene Autry, Roy Rogers and 
others of the ilk would also find 
time to pluck their guitars and 
serenade their belles. “I’m Back 
in the Saddle Again,” they’d, er, 
sing. No huff and puff stuff, but at 
least the dames were getting some 
attention. 

Somewhere along the route 
Howard Hughes made “The Out¬ 
law” which, tradition be damned, 
had such goings-on as romance on 
a hayloft. But this made only 
money and consequently did not 
(Continued on page 62) 


See Congress Interest 
In Ending Admish Tax; 
Need Grassroots Drive 

Washington, April 3. ■„ 
Members of Congress are ex¬ 
pressing considerable interest in 
the arguments by the National 
Assn, of Legitimate Theatres and 
the National Assn, of Concert 
Managers for' removal of the final 
10% admissions tax. 

There is no doubt here that 
many in the House and Senate 
would like to eliminate the bite 
for the entire entertainment biz. 
Biggest, stumbling block is the 
adamant position of the Treasury 
Dept, that all revenue is needed to 
produce a balanced budget and a 
start on reduction of the national 
debt. 

Strong support for debt reduc¬ 
tion before tax reduction reported¬ 
ly comes from the nation’s grass¬ 
roots. Many members of Congress 
conduct informal mail polls of their 
districts, with printed question¬ 
naires and return envelopes. These 
seek out public sentiment on top 
national and international issues. 

Almost invariably, the question¬ 
naires ask whether debt reduction 
or tax reduction should come first. 
With very few exceptions, it’s 
(Continued on page 18) 







JHHSCEIAAXY 


PBrie rr 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Bumper Crop of Packages Headed 
For Strawhat Trail This Summer 


The strawhat circuit is in for a*- 
flood of package productions this I imn ««* y «, j 
summer. Prospective lineup al- NBC WOll t Stand Still 
ready includes a rash of musicals 
and straight plays, with indications 
of more to come before the season 
gets rolling in June. 

Taking the lead in the package 
push is Hillard Elkins, who had 
several shows on the silo trail last 
season and previously handled 
summer stock for the William 
Morris agency. Elkins, now a per¬ 
sonal manager, plans sending out 
seven properties this season. 

Some of the productions wi 


For Gobel on CBS 

Competition between the two 
top television networks has tripped 
up Paramount on one part of its 
plan to spotlight George Gobel as 
star of its new feature, “Birds and 
the Bees.” 

Par was angling for a Gobel 
guest-sfiot on either Arthur God¬ 
frey's “Friends” show or Ed Sul- 
in- j livan’s “Toast of the Town.” These 


FILE INCOME TAX HENS 

Garland, Barrymore, Rooney and 
Luft Slapped By U. S. 


elude talent repped by Elkins, as are regarded by various film com- 

is the case with “Tea and Svm- . panies as the best .. of all tv bally 

pathy,” which will star Maria i showcases. 

Riva, one of his clients. Miss Riva But both are CBS airers and Go- 
is currently costarring with Alan bel is an NBC performer. And 

Baxter in a George Brandt tour-| NBC said no to the idea of a Gobel 

ing production of the Robert An- j exposure on the rival web. 
derson drama. Other items on 
Elkins’ sked include “Solid Gold 
Cadillac,” starring Billie Burke, 
and “Call Me, Madam,” starring 
Sloan Simpson. 

Elkins is also routing a "Guys 
and Dolls” package, and other 
prospects include “Bus Stop,” if 
released, and the tour of “Solomon 
Grundy,” a prior strawhat entry 
which he plans to produce off- 
Broadway. 

He’s also working on a vehicle 
for legit-film actor Robert Strauss. 

Oscar Olesen, company manager 
for the Broadway production of 
• (Continued on page 63) 


Princetonian Dixieland 
Combo, Darras & Julia 
To Grace Monaco Event 

Jazz will have Its Inning at the 
Grace Kelly-Prince Rainier III 
wedding festivities in Monaco this 
month via a Princetonian dixieland 
combo. Stan Rubin and His Tiger- 
town Five were invited to Monaco 
as guests of the Prince, and they 
will be the only jazz combo swing¬ 
ing there during the event. 

Rubin, a 22-year-old Princeton 
graduate now studying law at Ford- 
ham U., met Miss Kelly last May 
when his band played a date at 
Cherry Hill, N.J. A correspon¬ 
dence between Miss Kelly and Ru¬ 
bin, which began when the latter 
sent her a copy of one of his RCA 
Victor albums, led to the invita¬ 
tion to the wedding. 

At Prince Rainier’s request, the 
combo will play in Monaco dressed 
in their collegiate orange blazers 
and strawhats. 


Back To Doubling 

London, March 27. 

After Julia concludes her current 
solo cabaret run at the Colony, 
Eerkeley Square, she and her 
partner Darvas are flying out to 
Monte Carlo to do their double 
dancing act at the Prince Rainier- 
Grace Kelly nuptials. 

During the past week the two, 
who recently closed a London 
Palladium season, have been ap¬ 
pearing at the Albert Hall celebra¬ 
tions organized by Butlin’s Holiday 
camps. This was attended recently 
by the Duke of Edinburgh. 


When Its Real 
Public Now Sees 
Film As Faked 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Now there’s a new headache for 
; producers of unusual features. The 
; public has become so over-educat- 
' ed to special effects that it is in¬ 
clined to shrug off authentic flavor 
as the contrivance of some Holly¬ 
wood technician. The result, opines 
William Bloom, producer of 20th- 
Fox’s “On the Threshold of Space,” 
some good .exploitation angles fre¬ 
quently are lost. 

Bloom developed the theory in 
the last few weeks, reading some 
of the mail and critical comments 
on “Space,” most of which paid 
high tribute to the special effects 
in the film. But, he points out, a 
good portion of the “special ef¬ 
fects’-’ footage is not studio trick¬ 
ery, but the real McCoy, including 
footage shot from a balloon some 
100,000 feet in the air over the 
Holloman Air Base in New Mex¬ 
ico. 

"Actually,” Bloom declares, “it’s 
a great tribute to the wonderful 
work of Ray Kellogg on special 
effects. He did so well that there’s 
no way of distinguishing between 
his work and the real stuff. This 
is particularly true in some of the 
air shots which he faked before 
we got the footage taken from the 
balloon. They matched perfectly.” 

Bloom feels that pictures in¬ 
volving technological advance¬ 
ments, such as “Space,” can be 
better exploited if the public is 
made aware of their realism. Foot¬ 
age lensed on the rocket sled at 
Holloman, for example, give an au¬ 
dience an on-the-scenes view of de¬ 
velopments that add values. 

“It’s possible,” Bloom says, “that 
we’ye spent so much time con¬ 
vincing the public the skill and 
inventiveness of our technicians 
that they are now inclined to be 
blase about the very ingredients 
that make a picture more excit¬ 
ing.” 


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Hollywood, April 3. 

Income tax liens against several 
industry figures have been filed 
here by the Collector of Internal 
Revenue. Liens total almost $52,- 
000 and stretch back to 1951. 

Biggest lien was filed against 
Judy Garland and Sid Luft, for 
$20,891.09 representing 1952-53 
taxes. Others include Ethel Barry¬ 
more, $12,142.80 for 1951 and 1954; 
Mickey Rooney, $3,295.93 for 1954; 
his wife Elaine, $3,709.23 for 1954; 
and Carmen Castillo Cugat, former 
wife of Xavier Cugat, $4,377.81 for 
1953. 


So How’s Your Embouchure? 


‘Porgy’ Pickup Orchs O’Seas Quite a Problem to a 
Meticulous Maestro 


WW Hints He’ll Do 
Metro TV Series 


Hollywood, April 3. 

It’s up to Walter Winchell, as to 
whether he will sign with Metro to 
narrate a tv series based on stu¬ 
dio’s oldie short series, “Crime 
Does Not Pay,” WW reports. 

Winchell ogled several of the 
briefies with studio execs and said 
he was impressed by them. Loew’s 
v.p. in N, Y. Charles C. Moskowitz 
called him and told him to name 
his terms for the assignment, said 
Winchell, indicating he will prob¬ 
ably sign. 

Winchell has been conferring 
here with studio and production 
chief Dore Schary and studio gen¬ 
eral manager Eddie Mannix on the 
project. 


Irvin Marks, Langtime 
Paris Rep for Shuberts, 
Dies in 'Home’ Town 

Paris, April 3. 

Irvin Marks, perhaps the best 
known American showman in 
Paris, age “about 77,” died April 
1 at the American Hospital in 
Neuilly where he had been rushed 
when taken suddenly ill. In ap¬ 
parent excellent physical shape, 
despite his indeterminate 70-plus 
years, his passing was unexpected. 
Marks resided here for a third-of- 
a-century and many aver he was 
“crowding 80” but as John Shu- 
bert told Variety in New York 
“Irvin long ago burned his birth 
certificate.” 

Marks settled here post-World 
War I as play and talent scout for 
the Shuberts, Al Woods, David 
Belasco, Gilbert Miller, et al. Be¬ 
cause of his longtime residence at 
the Scribe Hotel, that became a 
sort of unofficial base for visiting, 
U.S. showmen, and when Marks 
shifted to the Hotel George V they 
followed him there too. Latterly 
he resided at the Continental, re¬ 
verting to the “downtown” Made¬ 
leine sector. 

Marks’ peregrinations from Paris 
to London, Vienna, Oslo, Berlin, 
etc., in quest of revue, musicom- 
edy and legit novelties, scripts, 
plays and talent- figured strongly 
in* the heyday of the Shubert’s 
importations of European proper¬ 
ties. 

When Marks returned to Amer¬ 
ica, with the advance of the .Nazis, 
he suddenly disappeared and de¬ 
spite the intensive manhunt he re¬ 
mained in obscurity and unidenti¬ 
fied until garment centre indus¬ 
trialist Jack P. Sadowsky almost 
literally forced Marks hack into 
show business when he discovered 
him in the lobby of the Jackson¬ 
ville IFla.) Hotel. Veteran film 
(Continued on page 15) 


Sensitive Polly Adler 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Producer Rex Carlton has 
sued Polly Adler in Superior 
Court here, asking $100,000 
damages and an injunction to 
prevent any other producer 
securing rights to “A House 
Is Not a Home,” the auto¬ 
biography of the Manhattan 
brothel-keeper. Carlton al¬ 
leges he bought exclusive 
legit, pictures, radio and tele¬ 
vision rights for $600 down 
and 1% of gross, pro rata of 
other proceeds. 

Now Mme. Adler won’t give 
him a binding in writing be¬ 
cause she counter-demands in¬ 
demnity clauses lest a musical 
comedy version “degrade or 
defame” her. 


Motel, Bowling, Eatery, 
3,150 Cars in Park 

Chicago, April 3. 

Sam Levin, ozoner chain opera¬ 
tor from Dayton, is planning a $1,- 
330,000 project to include a 3,150 
car drive-in, a ihotel, bowling al¬ 
leys and a -restaurant on an 85- 
acre piece of land in Stickney 
Township, a Chicago suburb. 

Construction of the south side 
recreation center is slated to be¬ 
gin this month as soon as acquisi¬ 
tion of the $330,000 tract is com¬ 
pleted. The $500,000 theatre will 
take three months to build, and 
will have two screens, each measur¬ 
ing 80 feet by 120 feet. One screen 
will be visible to 1,650 cars and 
the other will be seen by 1,500 
cars; there will be space for 3.900 
cars in an off-street waiting line. 
Construction of the motel, restau¬ 
rant and bowling alleys is set for 
1957. 


Orson Welles On 
U.S. Craft Skills: 
Nothing Like’Em 

Hollywood, April 3. 

America’s technical skill in mak¬ 
ing feature films is unique, ob¬ 
served Orson Welles, who has pro¬ 
duced two features abroad and 
acted in many others in Europe. 
Welles, currently rehearsing for 
the CBS-TV Ford Star Jubilee pres¬ 
entation of “20th Century,” flatly 
stated, “There’s no filming organi¬ 
zation equal to the American or¬ 
ganization.” 

While pix may cost less per day 
to shoot abroad, they require longer 
shooting skeds, he added, and while 
offering some savings, “They’re not 
as dramatic as pictured.” 

“It’s wonderful for a director to 
get what he asks for, as ordinarily 
happens here,” he continued. “In 
Europe, you ask and hope you’ll get 
what you ask for. You get up in 
the morning and wonder if every¬ 
thing is going to be where it’s sup¬ 
posed to be. To get results, a di¬ 
rector has to be topgrade. He’s 
got to be a combination propman, 
grip, producer, everything.” 

Welles ruefully admitted that 
the handicaps of European produc¬ 
tion sometimes forces the director 
to exercise more imagination, but 
on the whole, it makes filming 
much tougher, especially on loca¬ 
tion. 

(Parenthetically, he noted the 
great upsurge in location filming in 
the U. S., and wryly commented 
that during his days here, he had 
(Continued on page 62) 


Olivier to Film ‘Macbeth’; 
Vivien Leigh as Lady M. 

London, April 3. 

Following the trans-Atlantic re¬ 
ception of “Richard III,” Sir 
Laurence Olivier has decided to 
film another Shakespearian epic. 

He’s to make a color version of 
‘Macbeth” next year in which his 
wife, Vivien Leigh, will appear as 
Lady Macbeth. 


HOLD THOSE ACRES 


Congressman Sees Big Sports 
Stadium in D.C.’s Future 


Washington, April 3. 

A bill to select a site and de¬ 
sign for a national memorial sta¬ 
dium for the District of Columbia- 
has been introduced by Rep. Frank 
Thompson Jr. (D., N.J.). Thomp¬ 
son said the nation’s capital needs 
an adequate stadium and cultural 
center, plus the necessary parking 
space for those attending events. 

As a result he has also urged the 
D. C. Government not to sell a 307- 
acre tract, largest undeveloped 
plot within the city limits. Thomp¬ 
son urged that the land be kept 
in public ownership for eventual 
use as a stadium and Cultural cen¬ 
ter site. 


By SYLVAN LEVIN 

<Opera and B’tuay conductor) 

Picking up an orchestra to play 
“Porgy and Bess” in European or 
South American cities isn’t the 
least important job of the globe¬ 
touring Gershwin troupe—nor the 
easiest. I spent three months as 
conductor with the company in 
both locales—and it was an ex¬ 
perience. 

Our company was placed in two 
radically opposite positions, as far 
as the type of available orchestra 
was concerned. If we were fortu¬ 
nate enough to be performing in 
a recognized 'firstclass opera house, 
life was usually .musically and rel¬ 
atively beautiful. A well-schooled, 
sensitive group of players “went 
with the house.” Just as often as 
not, we were compelled to play in 
a regular theatre which had no 
orchestra attached.,. This necessi¬ 
tated the gathering together of a 
pickup orchestra by a local con¬ 
tractor—and a. battle royal to pre¬ 
serve some remnants of Gershwin’s 
musical memory was in progress. 

When the players were com¬ 
petent, the American-style “Porgy ,rt 
playing was never a problem for 
the orchestra. When it was a pick¬ 
up orchestra, the playing was just 
indescribably bad. No amount of 
rehearsal seemed enough. 

No Sexy, Juicy Tones 

In Brussels we performed at the 
famous old opera house, Theatre 
de la Monnaie. This is a highly 
respected orchestra and rather 
well-schooled. To one accustomed 
to the sexy, full-bodied, juicy tone 
(Continued on page 63) 


Hail ‘Kissable’ Director; 
Masquers Stages Fete 
For Triple-Threat Lupino 

By WHITNEY WILLIAMS 
Hollywood, April 3. 

“Ida,” avowed Edmond O’Brien 
from the dais, “is the nicest smell¬ 
ing director I’ve ever worked 
with.” 

Came back toastmaster Charles 
Prince, intro’ing the honored guest, 
“She’s the only director I’ve ever 
wantecLto kiss.” 

Ida—Ida Lupino—was being 
feted Thurs. (29) by Masquers, 350 
of them and their guests, and lead¬ 
ing up to her presentation of the¬ 
atrical org’s George Speivin 
Award the eulogies were piling up 
fast. Consensus was that not alone 
is she a triple-threat femme^-pro- 
ducer-director-actress — but more 
• . . young players’ mentor and 
friend. 

Hedda Hopper, herself kudosed 
with the club’s homage five weeks 
ago, listening intently to the spiel - 
recounting honoree’s many accom¬ 
plishments, asked her if she could 
splice an electric wire or lay bricks 
. . . “I can,” she orated, recalling 
then her first association in 1937 
with Ida when both were appearing 
in Paramount’s “Artists and 
Models.” She said she talked'young 
actress out of her $1,700 weekly 
contract into trying for something 
better as a dramatic player, Ida 
(Continued on page 63) 

N.Y. Flacks’ Shindig For 
Louis Sobol’s 25th Anni 

Louis Sobol, who on May 31 
will be with the Hearst organiza¬ 
tion for 25 years as a columnist, 
and who had been pillaring for an 
additional two with the now de¬ 
funct N’ Y. Graphic, was told what 
a good and generous character he 
is by the Overset Set, an organi¬ 
zation of N. Y. pressagents, who 
tendered him a party Monday (2) 
at Toots Shor’s, N. Y. Despite the 
sound seiitiments, the language 
matched the stag occasion. 

It was a jnew kind, of activity 
for the flacks, many of whom are 
accustomed to doing things in a 
big way. Maybe they let their sin¬ 
cerity interfere with big arrange¬ 
ments. It seems that all they want¬ 
ed to do was tell Sobol what a 
nice fellow he’s been to them dur¬ 
ing the quarter century that he’s 
been reporting on the Broadway 
scene. Also how much he’s done 
in the way of keeping the town’s 
flacks solvent. For that reason, 
^Continued bn page 15) 






Wednesday, 


April 4, 1956 


PfailETY 


PICTURES S 


DISTRIBS MAY TAKE ON OSCARS 


Unmerry Oldsmobile 

Another year—another overdose of Oldsmobile commercials 
on the NBC telecast of the Oscars. And maybe 1,000,000 of the 
50 000,000 estimated to have seen the 90-minute show might 
have been at the film theatres paying to see this Hollywood hit 
parade if it went closed-circuit. 

But how do you get around competitive jealousies in a com¬ 
pany town like Hollywood? When it looks like “Eternity" is the 
sweep for Columbia or “Marty" for United Artists, also-ran 
studios can’t be enthusiastic to underwrite the bankrolling 
needed for such a video event. That’s where General Motors 
steps in and cashes in as rival producers pout. 


Nobody who knows the .complexities of the problem will be glib 
but it is to be hoped that the newest attempt to find a way-out 
of that unmerry Oldsmobile ride every spring will result in ac¬ 
tion. Distributors in the east may have a little more detachment 
and broad industry public relations sense than do the studios 
on the Coast. Abel. 


Raps Studios’ Five-Day Week; 

2d Feature Playdates Down 40% 
While Shooting Costs Up 15% 


Hollywood, April 3. 4- 

With the market for small-budg¬ 
et second features reduced 40% in 
the past five years, producers of 
this type of product are now 
slapped with a prohibitive 15% in¬ 
crease in production costs, due to' 
the new fiveday work agreement 
plus boosts in wages. 

So states Edmund J. Baumgar- 
ten, prexy of Associated Film Re¬ 
leasing Corp., which this year will 
turn out a program of 10 features. 
As a new means Of averaging upped 
costs, Baumgarten has asked all 
AFRC franchise holders to go after 
increased film rentals from exhibs. 


VistaVision Gentled Into 
Acceptance for Other 
Than Paramount Films 

VistaVision, widescreen process 
fostered but not plugged by Para¬ 
mount, appears finally getting a 
play by others than Par. The com¬ 
pany lenses all of its product with 
this system but, unlike 20th-Fox 
with its Cinemascope, exerts no ef¬ 
fort to induce others to use it. 
Further, Par has no monetary stake 
in V’Vision. 

The double-frame-way of making 
pictures was given a boost via the 
recent Academy Awards with Os¬ 
cars going to “To Catch A Thief” 
for color photography and “Rose 
Tattoo” for black and white. 

All J. Arthur Rank pictures are 
to be made in V’Vision, ditto Stan¬ 
ley Kramer’s “Pride and the Pas¬ 
sion.” Marilyn Monroe Produc¬ 
tions’ “Sleeping Prince,” Metro’s 
“High Society," Warners’ “Seach- 
ers.’” Universal’s “Away All Boats” 
and various industrial subjects 
such as General Motors’ “Fea- 
turama.” 

Late-starting V’Vision has been 
slow to catch on in the trade. Tee- 
off picture with the process was 
“White Christmas.” Since that time 
the only non-Par filmmaker to put 
“ to use extensively has been 
Rank, 

Par has given the system some 
billing, of course, but has refrained 
from making it a major selling 
Point as 20th has done with 
C Scope. 


U’s Chi.Huddle April 19 


Universal will hold a three-day 
Meeting of its homeoffice sales 
toppers and district sales managers 
the Hotel Drake in Chicago 
April 19 to 21. Charles J. Feldman, 
V -P. and general sales manager, will 
P re side at the ‘ session. Alfred E. 
Dalf, executive £p., who will be 
onroute from the Coast to New 
tork, will attend the opening day’s 
meetings. 

Palaver will be devoted to the 
formulation of release plans for 
fbe company|s summer and fall 
Pictures. '• 


METRO'S 9-YEAR PEAK 


Six New, Three Holdover Produc¬ 
tions Before Cameras 


Hollywood, April 3. 

Production at Metro will be op¬ 
erating at a nine-year high with 
nine pictures before the cameras 
during April. Making up the total 
are six new starts and three carry¬ 
overs. And, according to produc¬ 
tion chief Dore Schary, there is a 
possibility that two more pictures 
may be added to the April slate. 

The April starts include “Rain- 
tree County,” “The Barretts of 
Whimpole Street,” “Tea and Sym¬ 
pathy,” “The Power and the 
Prize,” “The Teahouse of the Au¬ 
gust Moon,” and “The Painted 
Veil.” The three carry-overs are 
“Somebody Up There Likes Me,” 
“The Opposite Sex,” and “Some¬ 
where I’ll Find Him.” 


NO LACK OF ACTIVITY; 

36 LENSING IN APRIL 

Hollywood, April 3. 

With all of tije major studios 
operating at a stepped up . pace, 
April's film activity stacks up to 
be the biggest production splurge 
in three years for any one month. 
Hollywood’s major lots have sched¬ 
uled 36 films to go before the cam¬ 
eras this month. 

The April starters compare with 
this years^-13 pix that were pro- 
duced'-'irfJanuary, the 29 in Feb¬ 
ruary and 20 in March. This 
month’s upbeat in production also 
accentuates the desire of the ma¬ 
jors to meet the product needs of 
the exhibitors, who for long have 
been complaining of a shortage of 
films. It appears likely the majors 
in 1956 will surpass the 250 fea¬ 
tures produced last year. 

Pacing the field for April is Me¬ 
tro, with six films skedded for pro¬ 
duction. 

In second place are Paramount 
and UI, each with four pix. Follow¬ 
ing closely behind are three stu¬ 
dios—Warners, 20th-Fox and Al¬ 
lied Artists—with three starters 
this month. 

Columbia, Republic and RKO 
will start two pix this month. 

Seven other films being pro¬ 
duced this month are indie produc¬ 
tions being released through 
United Artists. 


Preminger On the Wing 

O$to Preminger has a crowded 
schedule. The producer-director 
leaves New York Friday (6) to at¬ 
tend openings of “Man With the 
Golden Arm” in Paris, Rome, 
Brussels, Berlin, Oslo and Stock¬ 
holm. 

Next heTl serve as a judge at 
the Cannes film festival and fol¬ 
lows this with work in Southern 
France on the screenplay of “Bon- 
jour Tristesse” in collaboration 
with Sam Behrman. 


TALKS DUE ON 


Talk has started in New York on 
the possibility that the distribution 
end of the motion picture business 
might take over sponsorship of the 
annual televised Academy Awards 
presentations in Hollywood. It’s 
strictly in the early-discussion 
stage but the thought is intriguing 
to at least a few importantly- 
placed execs. 

That Oscar is a boon to the sales 
departments is no myth. As noted 
here last week, the spotlighting of 
“Marty” is expected to bring an 
extra $1,000,000 in United States 
and Canadian distribution rentals. 

That statuette to Paramount (for 
Anna Magnani in “Rose Tattoo”) 
similarly is proving a bonanza in 
terms of extended runs and taller 
returns. This film’s ninth week at 
the Trans - Lux, Philadelphia, 
brought a gross of $9,240 after 
$4,600 in the eighth; $13,400 in the 
fifth week at the Paramount Thea¬ 
tre, San Francisco, after $11,800 in 


H’wood Taps Ancient History To 
Out-Spec TV But B.O. Stamina Test 
Looms for‘Alex,’‘Conqueror,’‘Helen 


Seaton East on Idea 

George Seaton, president of 
the Academy of Motion Pic¬ 
ture Arts & Sciences, is due 
in New York late this week 
with his agenda reportedly in¬ 
cluding talks with film com¬ 
pany presidents about sponsor¬ 
ship of next year’s Oscar 
telecast. 

The Academy has until next 
September to accept a spon¬ 
sor. If the film business again 
refuses to bankroll the event, 
Oldsmobile very likely will tie 
it up, as it has the past three 
successive years. 


the fourth; $300,000 in the first 
five days around the Loew’s circuit 
in N. Y., compared with $304,000 
for a full week with the bine-chips 
entry of last year, “Country Girl.” 

There can be no question that 
Oscar is a multi-valued thing and 
the eastern film officials don’t 
want this dissipated via long 
parades of automobiles on the tv 
program. It’s apparent that the 
studios can’t get together on spon¬ 
sorship because of the jealousies 
(Continued on page 18) 


NICHOLSON-ARKOFF PARTNER 


Form American International— 
Primarily for Distribution 


American International Pictures 
has been formed by James H. 
Nicholson and Samuel Z. Arkoff. 
It will be primarily a distributing 
outfit, with Nicholson president 
and Arkoff v.p. and Leon Blender 
general sales manager. 

Five indie production units, in¬ 
cluding one headed by Nicholson, 
have been signed by American 
which reports a product lineup of 
14 features for the year starting 
June 1. 

New outfit has set up world-wide 
distribution. Its foreign sales rep, 
Phil Lewis, has arranged fran¬ 
chises in South America. In Eng¬ 
land, Nat Cohen’s Anglo-Alga- 
mated will distribute. 


* Motion picture industry observ¬ 
ers are focussed at the present 
time upon a number of new re¬ 
leases dealing with ancient history, 
all of the extravaganza type and 
mostly backed by whopping ad¬ 
vertising support, especially in the 
instance of United Artists’ “Alex¬ 
ander the Great,” which is cur¬ 
rently getting all-out ballyhoo. 
Three questions are being asked: 


HARRISON, 20TH CHIEFS 
MEET DIVISION HEADS 

Domestic and Canadian division 
managers will huddle with general 
saies manager Alex Harrison and 
the homeoffice brass including 
prexy Spyros P. Skouras and v.p. 
Charles Einfeld tomorrow (Thurs.) 
and Friday on the Coast to discuss 
merchandising plans on upcoming 
products. 

Skouras and Einfeld, accomped 
by' Glenn Norris, Eastern sales 
manager, and William C. Gehring, 
exec assistant to Skouras, leave 
N.Y. for the Coast today. 

At the studio, execs headed by 
Buddy Adler will attend the con¬ 
fabs discussing the upcoming 
CinemaScope and C’Scope 55 pix. 

Robert Riley, v.p. in charge of 
Technicolor Hollywood sales, has 
been elected to the Techni board. 

Riley has been with the outfit 
since 1922, starting as an operator 
in the lab. 


National Boxoffice Survey 

Biz Booms Easter Week; ‘Alex’ Champion, ‘Carousel’ 
2d, ‘Anything’ 3d, ‘Holiday,’ ‘Oklahoma’ Next 


Hundreds of exhibitors are trot¬ 
ting out new, strong fare during 
Easter week. Result is that biz is 
soaring to levels achieved during 
the week of Feb. 22, previous high 
mark for the year. Besides recent 
favorites, which received addi¬ 
tional playdates, there are several 
newcomers which augur well for 
the b.o. for the next few months 
at least. 

New champ is “Alexander the 
Great” (UA), which looks to top 
$300,000 in key cities covered by 
Variety— in the first week of its 
release. Flashy ads, radio-tv bally 
and all-round exploitation is spell¬ 
ing the story. Pic is playing in 
only some nine keys. It is closely 
followed by “Carousel” (20th), ldst 
week’s No. 1 pic, „which is playing 
in about 17 key spots. 

“Anything Goes” (Par), just 
starting a week ago, is climbing to 
third place although not sock in 
every engagement. _ “Cinerama 


newie, and “Golden Arm” (UA) are 
the runnerup pix. 

“Man in Gray Flannel Suit” 
(20th) looms as an outstanding 
newcomer, being sharp in Detroit, 
socko in Pitt, terrific in Washing¬ 
ton, nice in Boston and Denver, 
and smash in Cleveland. “Seren¬ 
ade” (WB), also potentially big 
boxofficewise, is boffo in Philly 
and hitting a huge $195,000 in sec¬ 
ond week at N. Y. Music Hall. 
This is near the Hall’s record for 
one week. 

“Forbidden Planet” (M-G), also 
new, is great in Washington, okay 
'in Louisville, big in Seattle and 
hefty in L. A. “Miracle in Rain” 
(WB), good in N. Y., looks smooth 
in Louisville, swell in Toronto but 
dull in Philly and L. A. 

“Harder They Fall” (Col), great 
in Boston, is sock in Philly and 
okay in Cincy. “Patterns” (UA) is 
very disappointing in N. Y. and 
L. A. 


Holiday” (Indie) is winding up j “Diabolique” (UMPO) again is 
fourth. . doing socko trade in some five 

“Oklahoma” (Magna) again is keys. “Doctor At Sea” (Rep) is in 
copping fifth money while “Con- | like category. “There’s Always To- 
queror” (RKO), by dint of some j morrow” (U) shapes sock in Chi. 


fresh playdates, is taking sixth 


“Invasion of Body Snatchers’ 


place. “Ill Cry Tomorrow (M-G) (AA) looms fine in Omaha and 
which was fourth last^round is j ProviclenC e. “Marty” (UA), out on 
tending in seventh position. Pic- . re i SSUCi j s trim in Minneapolis and 

nl mJ C< i!*ni S -tr .* /at r*\ 1 St, Louis and big in L. A. and Port- 

“Meet Me in Las Vegas" (M-G), i land 

a newcomer, is finishing ninth, this ; ’ , „ TT „ 

being initial week out in distribu-! . TT Creature Walks Among Us 
tion to any extent. “Court Jester” ■ JU'» smash in Chi, is nice in Frisco. 
(Par) will land in 10th position. |‘‘World in My Corner ’ also from 
“Rose Tattoo” (Par) and “Song of I Universal, is big in Chi and good 
South” (BV) (reissue) roundout the , in Providence. 

Golden Dozen. , Incomplete Boxoffice Reports on 

“Threshold of Space” (20th), aj ’ Pages 8-9) 


“Alexander the Great” chalked 
up gross revenue of $297,000 over 
the past weekend (three or four 
days) in 20 engagements, it is 
claimed by William J. Heineman, 
distribution v.p. Exec stated in New 
York this week that the Robert 
Rossen production is shaping as the 
biggest grosser on the UA books. 

Film is included in Variety’s 
reports in this issue on key city 
grosses. 


(1) With so much advertising 
and exploitation aimed at “open¬ 
ings," how significant are the first 
boxoffice reports in relation to sub¬ 
sequent playoff? 

(2) Do film spectaculars tend to 
emulate television specs in getting 

(Continued on page 18) 


‘Requiem for Redhead’ 
Launching Gordon-Vetter 
New Production Setup 

A new indie production company 
—Amalgamated Productions Inc.—■ 
has been organized by Richard 
Gordon and Charles F. Vetter Jr. 
to produce a series of feature pic¬ 
tures in the United States and 
abroad. 

Firm will launch its program 
with “Requiem for a Redhead,” 
which will be filmed at Nettlefeld 
Studios in Lodon starting April 9. 
MacLean Rogers will direct the 
filmization of the Lindsay Hardy 
(Continued on page 16) 


’T^rjety 

Trade Mark Registered 
FOUNDED 1905 by SIME SILVERMAN 
Published Weekly , by VARIETY. INC 
Harold Erichs. President 
154 West 46th St. New York 36, N. Y 
« JUdson 2-2700 
Hollywood 28 
6311 Yucca Street 
Hollywood 9-1141 
Washington 4 

1292 National Press Building 
STerllng 3-5445 
Chicago 11 

612 Mo. Michigan Ave. 
DElaware 7-4984 
London WC2 

8 St Martin’s PL, Trafalgar Sq. 
Temple Bar 5041 

SUBSCRIPTION 

Annual $10 Foreign $11 

Single Copies . 2 5 Cents 

ABEL GREEN. Editor 
Vol. 202 No. 5 

~ INDEX 

Bills . 54 

Chatter. 62 

Concert, Opera. 60 

Film Reviews... 6 

House Reviews. 54 

International. 11 

Inside Legit . 56 

Inside Music. 49 

Inside Radio-Tv . 35 

Legitimate. 56 

Literati . 61 

Music . 42 

New Acts... 52 

Night Club Reviews. 55 

Obituaries .*. 63 

Pictures . 3 

Radio-Television . 23 

Record Reviews . 42 

Frank Scully . 61 

Television Reviews .29 

TV Films. 31 

Unit Review . 50 

Vaudeville . 50 

Wall Street . 15 

DAILY VARIETY 
(Published in Hollywood by 
Dally Variety, LtdT 
$15 a year. $20 Foreign 


























PICTURES 


VftfttlPfY 


Vcdnc^ay, April 4y 1956 


Agitate Need To Teach Lesson 
i For Producers Who Cross Borders 


Hollywood, April 3. 4 

“Daniel Boone,” produced in j 
Mexico, and film’s producers, Gan- | 
naway-Ver Halen Productions, are 
under n^w fire by the Hollywood 
AFL Film Council, which previous¬ 
ly registered a kick against what 
it termed “runaway tactics” em¬ 
ployed. 

Council has asked all AFL-CIO 
unions throughout the U. S. to as¬ 
sist in its efforts to "teach a lesson 
to an American employer who ran 
to a foreign country whereby he 
escaped paying American union 
wage rates to American workmen.” 

Indie outfit, when Film Council 
first raised the issue last February, 
asserted lensing had to be done in 
Mexico due to inclement weather 
in Kentucky. 

Request from Council included a 
copy of a resolution adopted by 
Central Labor Council here. It 
asks that “the members of all lo¬ 
cals in your organization be urged 
not to patronize the Mexican-made 
picture, ‘Daniel Boone,’ and addi¬ 
tionally, if possible, that a repre¬ 
sentative of your body contact the 
movie theatre managers in your 
localities and ask them not to book 
this picture.” 

‘Runaway Now 
| Extra Guilds 
I Bad-Mad Word 

' Hollywood, April 3. 

Screen Extras Guild has served 
Assn, of Motion Picture Producers, 
Alliance of TV Film Producers, 
Society of Independent Motion Pic¬ 
ture Producers and other pactees 
■with 60-day contract termination 
notice, after talks with producers 
deadlocked over weekend. 

Main issue at stake are "run¬ 
away” production, wage rates, 
health and welfare benefits, pen¬ 
sions, vacations and telernx scales. 
Guild prexy Richard HT Gordon 
complained that while producers 
have asked SEG for a long-term 
contract, they have refused to meet 
ether Guild demands. 

Gordon issued statement alleg¬ 
ing, in part: 

“The producers have admitted to 
ns . . . that they 'jump’ the L.A. 
and S.F. extra zones to distant loca¬ 
tions, in order to hire non-reg- 
Istered extra players at less than 
Guild scales and conditions. Wage 
Increases within the Hollywood 
(Continued on page 16) 


Pickford to Produce 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Mary Pickford is returning 
to production in early fall, 
according to Richard Polimer, 
prexy of Mary Pickford Corp. 
She will not appear in film. 

Property will be selected 
from among more than -25 she 
owns. 


RKOO'SeasRep 
For ‘Oklahoma; 
Long-Term Deal 

RKO has acquired foreign dis¬ 
tribution rights to Magna Theatre- 
Todd AO’s “Oklahoma” in a deai 
believed foreshadowing a long¬ 
term co-production tieup involving 
RKO and Magna. This means that 
future Rodgers & Hammerstein 
properties which are to be filmed 
will go out via RKO. 

Magna has first refusal rights 
to the R&H legiters, including the 
phenomenal, success, “South Pa¬ 
cific.” 

"Oklahoma” is to be released 
abroad by RKO in its'CinemaScope 
format for the most part, although 
there may be a few bigsereen in¬ 
stallations also supervised by the 
film company. The musical was 
lensed in both the 70m Todd-AO 
system and C’Scope. ■ 

Deal reportedly in the works 
provides for RKO to provide the 
financing for the Todd-AO features 
of the future. Because of the slow 
playoff of "Oklahoma,” the $7,000,- 
000 investment in this epic doubt¬ 
less will be tied up for some time. 

In New York this week, Daniel 
T. O'Shea, RKO president, stated 
the company is “very interested in 
and is considering the early pro¬ 
duction of certain important mo¬ 
tion picture properties in .the 
Todd-AO system on a roadshow 
basis.” There was no elaboration. 
That RKO will release “Oklaho¬ 
ma” abroad was announced jointly 
by O’Shea and George P. Skouras, 
Magna president. 


Pasternak-Katz 
Dicker Columbia 


Joe Pasternak and Sam Katz, 
who recently disclosed intentions 
of forming an independent pro¬ 
duction company, are negotiating 
a deal to tie up with Columbia, 
with Col to finance as well as dis¬ 
tribute the Pasternak-Katz lineup. 

The new association would be¬ 
come effective at the end of this 
year when Pasternak’s longtime 
association with Metro comes to 
an end. In view of the fact that the 
producer has nine more months to 
go with M-G, the specifics anent 
his output for Col have yet to be 
determined. 

A veteran industry exec. Katz 
has been inactive since his part¬ 
nership with Stanley Kramer at 
Col dissolved over a year ago. 


Wellman’s ‘Lady’ Debuts 
In Ga. Area Where Shot 

Albany, Ga., April 3. 

World premiere of Warners’ 
“Goodbye, My Lady,” has been 
switched to Wednesday (11) in¬ 
stead of day after as originally 
scheduled. Late James Street’s 
novel of same name was filmed in 
this locality under William Well¬ 
man’s direction. 

Starring Brandon deWilde, Wal¬ 
ter Brennan and Phil Harris, film 
will be shown at Albany Theatre 
and will be followed immediately 
in special prerelease engagements 
in 200 other cities in Georgia, 
Florida, Alabama and Tennessee. 

Film’s story centers around a 
boy’s love for a dog. This is no 
ordinary dog, however. It is a 
Basenji, Africa’s incredible bark¬ 
less dog. Fabled in early Egyptian 
history, Basenji is a small chestnut- 
brown canine that emits a chuck¬ 
ling laugh and weeps real tears. 


Bosustow, Scanlon Sailing 

Stephen Bosmstow, president of 
UPA Pictures, and Ernest Scan¬ 
lon. v.p.-treasurer, are en route to 
London to establish oliices in the 
British capital and name a man¬ 
aging director. They left the 
Coast yesterday (Tues.) and board 
the United States at Gotham Sat¬ 
urday (7). 

New division being established 
is UPA Ltd., Which will handle 
sales and distribution of the com¬ 
pany’s television product and set 
up a studio in London for film 
cartoon production. 

Bosustow and Scanlon plan to 
visit the Cannes Festival and 
turn to N, Y. in May. 


Arizona’s Location Activity 
Inspires Rumors Film Men 
Buy Acres Via Dummies 

Phoenix, April 3. 

Recurrent rumors of film com¬ 
panies buying heavy acreage in 
this area for production sites 
through dummy corporations is 
given some credence by the large 
number of features before the 
cameras in Arizona during March 
anh currently. 

Paramount starts shooting “The 
Maverick” on Monday (9) with 
Charlton Heston, Gilbert Roland, 
Ann Baxter, Tom Tryon, Elaine 
Stritch, and Bruce Bennett. 

A crew of nearly 100 starts work 
tomorrow (5) at Sedona on Fox’s 
“The Last Wagon,” with Richard 
Widmark and Rita Moreno topping 
the cast and Delmar Davis direct¬ 
ing. 

The shooting schedule may take 
as long as two months and at times 
the extras will number more than 
300, including about 200 Indians 
from White River. 

Superstition Mountain, 35 miles 
east of Phoenix, and Tuscon were 
the locales for sequences of “Gun 
Fight 'at O.K. Corral,” with Kirk 
Douglas, Burt Lancaster, Rhonda 
Fleming, Jo Van Fleet, John Ire¬ 
land, and Lyle Bettger, with Hal 
Wallis producing. 

Guy Madison is producing and 
starring in “Reprisal,” being made 
near Tuscon, while Nogales is the 
setting for “Battle Hymn” (U-I), a 
story of air battles over Korea us¬ 
ing jets flown by members of the 
Arizona^ National Guard. Then, of 
course, "there was Marilyn Monroe 
in “Bus Stop.” 

The result of this activity has 
added to the steady rise of real 
estate prices in Arizona. 

Goldenson-Hyman 
See Progress Vs. 
‘Orphan’ Times 

A more orderly distribution of 
quality product during May and 
June, usually an “orphan” period, 
will occur this year, according to 
American Broadcasting-Paramount 
Theatres. Leonard Goldenson and 
Edward Hyman, president and 
veepee respectively, have been 
spearheading the drive to convince 
the production companies to make 
“important” product available dur¬ 
ing these months. It is the fore¬ 
most point in their 10-point pro¬ 
gram originally submitted in Jan¬ 
uary and having as its aim the 
elimination of factors harmful to 
the boxoffice. 

Since January, Goldenson and 
Hyman have consistently ham¬ 
mered away at producers and ex¬ 
hibitors in an effort to obtain co¬ 
operation for their program. 

“All of the distributors have 
agreed,” said Hyman, “to the or¬ 
derly distribution plan and I am 
definitely of the opinion that this 
coming May and June, normally 
one of the ‘orphan’ periods I have 
decried, will show a substantial 
improvement in quality product.” 

The AB-PT execs are urging ex¬ 
hibitors to show their appreciation 
of the new distribution system, by 
“conceiving and consummating ad¬ 
vertising and exploitation cam¬ 
paigns for this period above and 
beyond the normal.” 


Yanks and British Spurn Bid For 
Italy-Urged Distributor Circle 


Motion Picture Export Assn. has4' 
nixed an invitation to join a pro¬ 
jected European distributors or¬ 
ganization. Decision to turn down 
the invite was made in N. Y. last 
week by the foreign managers. 

Idea of a distributor unit origi¬ 
nated in Italy and was also turned 
down by the British. 

The American industry is a 
member in the Federation'of In¬ 
ternational Film Producers Assns. 
The companies are extremely leery 
about joining any European groups 
since, dn the back of their minds, 
lingers the suspicion that most 
such outfits in the long run work 
in contradiction of American trade 
aims and lean towards restrictions. 


No Clan Limits 

While it might be difficult 
to- conceive of Radio Corp. 
of America jpeddling i t s 
products on a network other 
than its subsidiaries, NBC, 
Tom O’Neil thinks differently 
as to WOR in New York. His 
RKO. pictures is buying time 
on the rival CBS net to video¬ 
sell an RKO film, “The Con¬ 
queror.” 

RKO over the past weekend 
bought an extensive series of 
spot announcements with the 
Paley folk. 


■♦♦»»»»♦»♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦♦+ + »»♦♦♦♦♦♦ ♦♦♦»♦ V MMM .. . 

New York Sound Track jj 

♦♦■♦♦♦♦ 44 44# 

New York Daily News is prepping a six-part series on Darryl F, 
Zanuck. It’s based on the assumption that he’ll quit 20th-Fox, which 
is by no means certain. Syd Mirkin is doing the piece which should 
run soon . v . Charles Einfeld, 20th v.p., off to Europe April 13 to 
huddle on 20th productions there. He’ll also go to Cannes where 
“Man In a Gray Flannel Suit” is an entry . . . MPAA’s public relations 
topper in N. Y., Tim Clagett, in Harrisburg, Penn, on censorship prob¬ 
lems . . . Duke of Windsor attended a screening of the French 
“The Silent Sea” at 20th . . . Bernie Lewis, tubthumper for Times 
Films, quitting at the end of the month. Milton Mohr will replace... 
John G. McCarthy, International Affiliates topper, going to Mexico to 
discuss production of four Mexican pix there in conjunction with 
Sidney Bruckner . . . Bosley Crowther, N. Y. Times critic, has spent 
the past two weeks finishing up his book on the growth of the in¬ 
dustry. He's using Metro to illustrate his point. Tome ought to be 
out this winter. 

Yma Sumac will sing and act in “Bacfc From Eternity” at RKO . . , 
Audie Murphy bought screen rights to Thomas Williamson's^ novel, 
“The Woods Colt,” in which he will star as well as produce 1 . . . Hal 
Wallis handed an exclusive contract to NY actor Brian Hutton, starting 
with "Gunfight at the OK Corral.” . . .'. Lana Turner’s new Metro 
contract calls for one picture annually for five years . . . Jocelyn 
Brando resumes her screen career with a part in Copa’s “Nightfall.” 

Jerry Pickman received a $50 bill in the mail from Anna Magnani, 
result of a wager he had made with the Italian actress that she’d win 
the Oscar. She wrote: “With you I have lost. I’m happy.” . . . The 
double-“P” titles can be confusing, as witness Stanley Kramer's “Pride 
and Prejudice,” Perlberg-Seaton’s “Proud and Profane” and Metro’s 
“Power and Prize.” 

Chaite-Porter Motion Pictures, Inc. has been chartered to conduct a 
motion pictures business in New York. Joseph L. Gould, filing attor¬ 
ney . . . Also Blake Studios Inc. has been authorized to conduct a busi¬ 
ness in motion pictures and theatrical productions, with-offices in New 
York via GeraHL Kf. Ullman, director and attorney. 

Robert Clark, production topper for Associated British and presi¬ 
dent of the outfit’s American subsid, is on a British industry commit¬ 
tee to look into the sale of American films to British commercial video. 
Associated British is currently readying a package for possible sale 
to U. S. tv, which puts Clark pretty much in the same position as 
Rank’s John Davis, whose company has made millions from sales to 
American tv. Sb what’s logic? . . . Eric Johnston due back from 
Paris April 8. Meetings on Code revision will follow in short order 
. . . A1 Lichtman, 20th-Fox sales consultant, and former director of 
distribution, in Miami with no immediate plans re production . . . 
Darryl F. Zanuck flew to Europe for a week and Is due back later this 
week. Trip was described as “on business.” While in N. Y., he huddled 
with 204h-Fox prexy Spyros P. Skouras on a new contract. Zanuck 
is on a leave of absence from 20th . . . There’s a'good reason why 
Alan Jackson, Paramount story editor in N. Y., nixed a proffered job 
at CBS. When informed of his leaving, Par doubled his salary . . . 
Shirley Jones to London April 15 to help plug “Carousel” there. 

The Ingrid Bergman-Roberto Rossellini picture sold to General Tele¬ 
radio by Jacques Grinieff (as reported last week) wasn’t “Fear” but 
“The Stranger.” Latter costars George Sanders. “Fear,” also a 
Bergman-Rossellini pic; and also originally owned by Grinieff, is due 
to be released by Astor Pictures which has both theatrical and tv. 
rights and is currently dickering theatre bookings. Robert Corkery, 
Motion Picture Export Assn. v.p. in charge of Latin America, returned 
to his desk Monday (2) following a lengthy swing through his terri¬ 
tory. He reports business on the upbeat in most places and particularly 
the Central American states. Developments favorable to the U. S. 
industry are pending in Brazil where he spent three hot weeks . . . 
Arthur Kramer, 20th’s new story editor* at the studio, visiting East . . .. 
Donald La Badie named exec assistant to Joseph Maternati at the 
Office du Cinema Francais. 

George Seaton will be in Williamsburg, Va., three days this week to 
script a public service film on the historic town for the Rockefeller 
Foundation . . . Allied Artists, which rarely nabs first-run playiag 
time here, has “Crime in the Streets” set to bow at the Victoria next 
month. 

. Conquest Productions Corp. has been chartered to conduct a busi¬ 
ness as motion' picture producers in New York. Benjamin H. Schwartz- 
man is a director and filing attorney. 

William K. Everson, foreign publicity manager of Allied Artists for 
the last six years, this week joined the Paul Killiam organization in 
a writer-producer capacity. Killiam firm produces the “Movie Museum” 
tv series. 


L. A. to N. Y. 

George Axelrod 

Mortimer Becker 

Stephen Bosustow 

Linda Christian 

Joan Crawford 

Margaret Ettinger ' 

Ella Fitzgerald 

George Glass 

Ben Goetz 

Barry Gray 

F. Hugh Herbert 

Gene Kelly 

Larry Kent 

Arthur Kramer 

Jessie Royce Landis 

Paul N. Lazarus Jr. 

Patty McCormack 
J. P. Miller 
Alan Pakula 
Steve Previn 
Barbara Ruick 
Ernest Scanlon 
George Seaton 
Everett Sloane 
Sam Spiegel 
John Sutton 
Glenn Turnbull 

Europe to N. Y. 

Inge Borkh 
Paul Derval 
Richard Hearn 
Sol Hurok 
Nicholas Joy 
Robert Kingsley 
Zoltan Korda ^ 

. Charles. Rosmarin 


N. Y. to Europe 

Brian Aherne 
Barney Balaban 
Cecil Beaton 
S. N. Behrman 
Capt, T. M. Brownrigg 
Art Buchwald 
Arlene Dahl 
Richard Denning 
Rita Gam 
Milton Goldman 
Richard Greene 
Thomas K. Guinzberg 
Morgan Hudgins 
Grace Kelly 
George Laureau 
Carole Mathews 
Nathan Milstein 
Denis Q’Dea 
Richard Pleasant 
Otto Preminger 
Sheldon Reynolds 
Mstislav-Rostropovich 
Victor Saville 
Bob Sour 
Gordon White 

N. Y. to L. A. 

Pearl Bailey 
Jimmy Barnette 
Richard Carlson 
Charles Einfeld 
Alex Harrison 
Gene Martel 
Charles C. Moskowitz 
Glenn Norris 
Spyros P. Skouras 
Bianca Stroock 
Fredd Wayne - 



Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


^ PfiRIETY 


PICTURES 


$ 


HAS ANYBODY NOT SEEN KELLY? 




►44444444444 4 


M4 44444444 


Press Abroad Plays Up 'Wedding 


M ♦ ♦ 4 4H 


► 4-444 


H444 


►44444 


►4-444-444 H 


Explanation Simple: It's Got S.A. 

Very few news events get the concentrated coordination that “the 
wedding” in Monaco on April 17-18 is getting. A peace-treaty or a for¬ 
eign policy parley, hasn’t the sex appeal of this story. 

Air France has special chartered planes. There are all sorts of 
tourist busload setups on the Riviera and generally all over . Europe 
with an eye to capturing some of that curiosity crowd appeal. 

Four Non-Stop Gala Days 

Monte Carlo.—This tiny principality is faced with the titanic prob¬ 
lem of processing and servicing 1,000 applications for accredition, take 
or add a few, from the world press. A special bureau has been set 
up just for the wedding period, under the joint direction of Charles 
S. Smith, INS’ man in London, and Jean Gastand Mercury, a Monacan 
government official. 

Cameramen from newsreels will be here in droves along with still- 
takers. Two buses with 15 cameras will do remote relay work for 
Television Monte Carlo, the feed point for the Eurovision program¬ 
ming which will be practically non-stop for four days. Radio, sepa¬ 
rately, will be very active;—and with the problem of handling eight 
languages for world coverage and feeds to the various broadcast pools. 

To give a maximum efficiency to press representatives a large school 
has been requisitioned and rapidly transformed; typewriters, tele¬ 
phones and teleprinters are being installed, an information bureau 
will be opened with the services of interpreters in at least eight lan¬ 
guages. The tourist organization under its chief, Gabriel Ollivier, will 
furnish printed information sheets on everything pertaining to Mon¬ 
aco’s past history and current events. 

A bank will also be available plus a post and telegraphic office and 
in the courtyard of the school a snack bar will be opened day and 
night. 

In the race for priority for press coverage many of the big organi¬ 
zations have hired villas and apartments in the neighborhood of the 
palace and cathedral where they have installed photographic dark¬ 
rooms with telephone lines and teleprinters to link them directly to 
their offices in New York, London and Paris. 


Paris —in France, which will not be able to annex the Principal¬ 
ity of Monaco if the actress from Philadelphia produces an heir to 
the throne at Monte Carlo, there is real enthusiasm for the mar¬ 
riage of Grace Kelly and Prince Rainier III on the well-established 
French principle of toujours l’amour. The tendency here is to see a 
comparison with the classic tale, “Le Prince et la Bergere” (the Prince 
and the Shepherdess), though in this instance the modern shep¬ 
herdess comes from a millionaire builder’s family. French press 
has gone so far as to dub this “the marriage of the century.” 

The French as individualists, with one new, picturesque political 
party solely devoted to opposing taxes, have a congenital sympathy 
for the 30,000 citizens of Monaco and their desire not to be an¬ 
nexed to Franc.e. The French understand that annexation would 
mean that the Monacans (1) would have to pay taxes, none now 
being required of them since Monaco, smaller than Central Park 
in extent, is supported by its gambling franchise, and (2) the males 
would become liable for French, military service. 

The Rainier-Kelly nuptials will be on the television in France 
and in other countries via Eurovision. The appeal of the event 
was summed up by novelist .Antonie Blondin, who's more anarchist 
than royalist, but romantically partisan to the blonde American 
actress. Writing on page one of the big circulation afternoon 
Paris-Presse, Blondirf proclaimed “La Layette, Nous Voila” (Lay¬ 
ette, Here We Come). 


Translate Mrs. Kelly's Articles 

Frankfurt—Grace Kelly has replaced Audrey Hepburn as the 
favorite magazine cover girl of West Germany. The union of the 
Hollywood screen star and the young Mediteranean prince has 
become daily “must” copy. Here it is known simply as "The Wed¬ 
ding,” further description being held superfluous. The illustrated 
weeklies have particularly played it up. .Articles by Mrs. Jack 
Kelly Sr., of Philadelphia, were translated into German and run 
serially in Der Stern, second largest mag (789,000 circulation) in 
the Reich. 


. British—As Usual—Remain Calm 

London—British editors have been whipping up a campaign of 
reports on the Rainier-Kelly wedding, but the public, used to 
pomp, has not exhibited undue excitement.. The local Metro ex¬ 
change has, of coyrse, a cash-glitter in its romantically-misty 
eyes, foreseeing much benefit to the upcoming MGM release, “The 
Swan,” co-starring Alex Guiness and Miss Kelly as prince and 
princess. 


Denmark Likes Golden Princesses 
Copenhagen—The Grace Kelly wedding is just the sort of thing 
which "enchants the people of Denmark, whose Hans Christian 
Anderson made the “and the princess lived happily ever after” 
sort of story world-popular. 1$ consequence, the approaching 
hitching of .the American gal (Yanks are perhaps more popular in 
Denmark! than in any other European land) and the Grimaldi scion 
is a matter of top interest. However, a strike of typographers has 
practically suspended the press here. With the' expected settle¬ 
ment of the strike the journalistic fraternity is all primed to go to 
town with feature material. 


Liberace Philosophizes on Pic Flop 

Sees Film Fresher Overseas—TV Gluts Appetite— 
‘How Many Banana Splits Can You Eat?’ 


Monte Carlo Breaks (Open) Bank: 

. $570,000 for Jazz, Ballet And 
100 Fiddles for Royal Jig 

-:-f 


Hollywood, April 3. 

While such televisibn stars as 
Lucille Ball and Dezi Arnaz, and 
Jack Webb did very well in their 
Initial theatre releases, subsequent 
efforts haven’t fared too well, noted 
Lee Liberace last week. Using 
these as examples, Liberace ex¬ 
pounded his view that in order to 
cash in on their popularity, video 
personalities venturing into-theat¬ 
rical films must do so only when 
they are “very hot/' 


If Phil Silvers, currently the hot¬ 
test commodity in tv, were to make 
a film today, everyone would flock 
to see the pic, the curly-haired 
pianist opined. He confessed that 
he is “terribly disappointed” that 
his Warner Bros, starrer, “Sincere¬ 
ly Yours,” wasn’t widely accepted 
here.. 

“My picture didn’t do well be¬ 
cause I’ve had tremendous ex¬ 
posure on tv,” he added. “Had I 
(Continued oh page 15) 



By ROBERT J. LANDRY 

If Grace Kelly brings back 
George Barr McCutcheon’s Grau- 
stark novels and Anthony Hope’s 
mythical Zenda, where are their 
postage stamps to prove it? The 
coat-of-arms of Monaco must now 
be re-designed to include the 
Kelly family, which produced 
playwright George Kelly and 
monologist Walter C. Kelly (“The 
Virginia Judge”) before Princess 
Grace. 

The Kellys are making it so¬ 
cially with not too many sneers or 
jeers along the way, and so is show 
business in the process. Granting 
that theatrical personages have 
been gaining social prestige at a 
great rate since 1895 when the 
British, arbiters of snobbery and 
keepers of the almanacs of titles, 
dignities and precedence, knighted 
the first actor, Sir Henry Irving, 
nothing like the present worldwide 
furore has occurred as an Ameri¬ 
can film actress readies to become 
consort of a reigning prince. 

The Grace Kelly-Prince Rainier 
III wedding has (1) temporarily 
pushed the Communists off the 
front pages of Europe’s news¬ 
papers; (2) almost brought royalty 
back into fashion; (3) created a 
public spectacle so awesome in 
color and scope that theatrical 
press agents are modestly standing 
by, mouths agape, afraid to spoil 
the picture; and (4) crowded the 
harbor of Monte Carlo so that 
there isn’t a buoy to hook to, giv¬ 
ing point to the old Wall Street 
question, “Where are the custom¬ 
ers’ yachts?” 

Metro, it is to be noted, is pro¬ 
ceeding with caution, fearful of 
stubbing its toe. “The Swan,” be¬ 
cause of its prince-princess ro¬ 
mance theme, is a natural and the 
big ballyhoo (see accompanying 
stories on press coverage, tv, news¬ 
reels and Prince Rainier’s own 
color film grant) is more of a break 
than Metro itself could dare hope 
for. Replaying of old Grace Kelly 
films round the world is expected 
to produce a bonanza. 

The question as to whether the 
British royal family snubbed our 
Princess Grace does not arise 
since, if anybody has been snubbed, 
it’s. Rainier III. Word from Buck¬ 
ingham Palace in London is this: 
diplomatic formality is the issue. 
No member of British royalty is 
acquainted with (sic) the Prince 
of Monaco and there are no family 
ties, as in Norway, Sweden and 
Greece. Where there is no per¬ 
sonal contact between royal per¬ 
sons; invitations to heads, of state 
proceed strictly through diplo¬ 
matic channels. 

There are also delicate issues of 
protocol involved as to reigning 
monarch attending the coronations 
of other jmonarchs. London gives 
assurances that no question of 
lower echelon in the royal hier¬ 
archy was responsible for passing 
by the wedding. 

Monaco (20,000 pop.) is not the 
smallest country in Europe. Licht¬ 
enstein, which also has a ruHhg 
prince, a Hapsburg, has only 13,- 
500 citizens as does the Republic 
of San Marino, an encleve within 
Italy. 4 n( Iorra, a ravine republic 
between Spain and France, has but 
5,231 population. The other small 
European country, the Grand 
Duchy of Luxembourg, has 304,000 
population. 

Continental royalists and royalty 
seem in favor of this American 
actress becoming a Princqss con¬ 
sort, and all those invited are look¬ 
ing forward to attending the nup¬ 
tials. As another sign of the Con¬ 
tinental acceptance of the wedding 
among their royalty, as opposed to 
the British aloofness, is the invita¬ 
tion received by the Princess 
Ghislaine de Monaco who was 
married to Prince Rainier’s grand¬ 
father. She had beep exiled from 
Monaco after a quarrel about the 
succession to the throne. Her 
acceptance implies her backing the 
ascension of Miss Kelly. (Coinci- 
(Continued on page 18) 


Austria Mit Cowboys 

Washington, April 3. 

The Austrian film industry 
is producing 20 films during 
the current season and will 
also' collaborate with foreign 
producers in several addition¬ 
al pix, Austrian Embassy here 
discloses. 

Donau-Film studio starts 
production this month on an 
American western, with Aus¬ 
trian angles. Title is “Rose¬ 
marie Kommt aus Wildwest.” 
About half the Austrian films 
will be in Agfa-color. 

The Austrian industry, which 
was flat on its back at the end 
of World War II, has made a 
considerable comeback. It has 
turned out 209 full length fea¬ 
tures in the past 10 years, with 
28 as the output during 1955. 


Bad Tobacco Crop, 
Turks Default On 
Film Remittances 

Negotiations between the Ameri¬ 
can industry and the Central Bank 
of Turkey have collapsed and the 
Turks have defaulted on an agree¬ 
ment to remit accumulated film 
funds owed the United States. 

Excuse given by the Turks for 1 
not living up to the agreement was 
that their tobacco crop, this year 
was bad. Close to $800,000 is due 
the Motion Picture Export Assn, 
member companies from the Turk¬ 
ish market where they don’t dis¬ 
tribute themselves but via agents. 

Turkey is in the province of 
Charles F. Baldwin, MPEA rep in 
Italy. Griffith Johnson, MPEA 
v.p., who goes to Rome soon to 
meet there with MPEA prexy Eric 
Johnston, is expected to take up 
the Turkish problem, with Baldwin. 

Johnson also is due to go to Den¬ 
mark where the U. S. outfits still 
don’t send new pictures in protest 
against the prevailing rental ceil¬ 
ing. The Danish exhibs maintain 
they can’t pay more under prevail¬ 
ing tax conditions. 


GRIERSON ALL-NATIVE 
‘MAN OF AFRICA’ PIC 

Western' hemisphere distribution 
rights to “Man of Africa,” a John 
Grierson Group Three production, 
has been acquired by Eden Dis¬ 
tributing Co. of New York. Ac¬ 
cording to Eden prexy Max J. Ros¬ 
enberg, his outfit’s rights include 
35m, 16m, and television. 

The picture, filmed jn Africa, 
has an all-native cast and relates 
the adventures of present-day pio¬ 
neers who leave Uganda for more 
fertile farmland. The picture was 
filmed in Ferraniacolor and the 
dialog is in English. It is the first 
feature-length picture for Grier¬ 
son, a documentary film specialist. 

Cyril Frankel, who directed, also 
wrote the original story' from a 
screen treatment by Montagu- 
Slater. The actors are members 
of the Bakiga and Batwa tribes. 

Doerschel Heads 20th’s 
Reich Organization 

Gotthard Doerschel has been 
promoted from sales manager to 
managing director of 20th-Fox in 
Germany, per 20th International 
prexy Murray Silverstone. 

Doerschel succeeds to the post 
held by the late Robert A. Kreier. 
He’ll be under the supervision of 
Albert Cornfield, 20th’s managing 
1 director in Europe. 


By ED QUINN 

Monte Carlo, April 3. 
Although the Principality of Mo¬ 
naco is smaller than New York’s 
Central Park, the forthcoming 
wedding of its reigning prince, 
Rainier III, to Grace Kelly will 
cost about $570,000, according to 
estimates here. A series of ex¬ 
travaganzas at the chic sporting 
clubs will account for much of the 
outlay. One main feature is an or¬ 
chestra of 100 violins to play 
Strauss waltzes and other schmaltzy 
music. Lining up that many fid¬ 
dlers had the two music directors 
of the International Sporting Club 
scouting both the French and Ital¬ 
ian Riviera areas. 

Talent of all sorts must be im¬ 
ported. For example, 300 extra po¬ 
lice will be borrowed from the 
Republic of France to supplement 
Monaco’s own 200-man force. But 
the entertainment aspects in con¬ 
nection with the wedding are the 
most formidable cost factor. 

Monte Carlo Dancing Stars, the 
local version of the Folies Bergere, 
are expected to mount a minuet in 
period costumes. French film star 
Fernandel will emcee the cabaret. 
Eddie Constantine, the American 
nobody who became a big French 
film and recording artist, will ap¬ 
pear with his daughter Tania in 
their “Blue Bird” specialty. Ar¬ 
mando Orefiche Havana Cuban 
Boys will play for dancing. 

London Festival Ballet has been 
engaged for a series of perform¬ 
ances. For the occasion Anton Do- 
(Continued on page 18) 


Continuing Code 
‘Author! Author!’ 
Cry and Echo 

The question of who is the true 
author of Hollywood's Production 
Code still begs an answer and, in 
the light of various circumstances, 
may never be solved to everyone's 
satisfaction. 

What is • unquestionably true, 
however, and borne out by current 
writings on the topic, is that the 
basic document originated entirely 
in Catholic quarters without refer¬ 
ence to or consultation with spokes¬ 
men of other denominations. De¬ 
fenders of the Code have always 
held that it is interdenominational 
in character, setting up a moral 
yardstick acceptable to all. 

Latest contribution to the argu¬ 
ment over who wrote the Code 
comes via a. letter from tradepa- 
per man Martin Quigley to Amer¬ 
ica, the Jesuit-edited magazine. In 
it, Quigley claims authorship of, 
the preliminary draft of the Code 
which, following revisions, formed 
the basis of today’s document. 

In his recently published auto¬ 
biography, “Played by Ear,” the 
late Rev. Daniel A. Lord, a Jesuit 
priest, stated that he was the sole 
author of the actual document 
which he wrote at the urging of 
Quigley. Father Lord stated he 
had the original draft,, complete 
with marginal notes, still in his 
files, and that—after adoption of 
the Code—he had agreed with in¬ 
dustry leaders that the fact of his 
authorship should not be made 
known. He commented,- somewhat 
bitterly, that in later years others 
had taken credit for doing the 
work. 

Theological Onceover 
Quigley’s letter to America says 
the priest, at his request, gave the 
1929 Code draft the theological 
onceover, and he cites a study 
made in 1945 by the Rev. Paul W. 
Facey to the effect that “The con¬ 
cept of a code of moral standards 
. . . originated in 1929 with Martin 
Quigley.” Actually, Lord never de¬ 
nies that the. concept was Quig- 
(Continued on page 18) 



6 


FILM REVIEWS 




Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


THc Man In the Gray 
Flannel Suit 

(C'SCOPE—COLOR) 


Slickly Sold screen adaptation 
of Sloan Wilson bestseller. 
Cast and production values 
alone insure strong b.o. poten¬ 
tial but film is overlong. 


20th-Fox release of Darryl F. Zanuck 
production-. Stars Gregory Peck. Jennifer 
Jones, Fredric March, Marisa Pavan; fea¬ 
tures Lee J. Cobb, Ann Harding, Keenan 
Wynn, Gene Lockhart, Glgl Ferreau, 
Portland Mason, Arthur O’Connell. Henry 
Daniell, Joseph Sweeney. Directed by 
Nunnally Johnson. Screenplay, Johnson; 
from the novel by Sloan Wilson; camera 
(Color by De Luxe), Charles G. Clarke; 
editor. Dorothy Spencer; music, Bernard 
Herrmann. Previewed in N.Y., March 30, 
•’58. Running time, 152 MINS. 

Tom Rath . Gregory Peck 

Betsy . Jennifer Jones 

Hopkins . Fredric March 

Maria .Marisa Pavan 

Judge Bernstein.Lee J. Cbbb 

Mrs. Hopkins . Ann Harding 

Caesar Gardella . Keenan Wynn 

, Hawthorne . Gene Lockhart 

Susan Hopkins . Gigi Perreau 

Janie . Portland Mason 

Walker . Arthur O'Connell 

Bill Ogden . Henry Daniell 

Mrs. Manter . Connie Gilchrist 

Edward Schultz . Joseph Sweeney 

Barbara . Sandy Descher 

Pete. Mickey Maga 

Mahoney . Kenneth Tobey 

Florence . Ruth Clifford 

Miriam . Geraldine Wall 

Johnson . Alex Campbell 

Freddie .'...... Jerry Hall 

Police Sergehnt . Jack Mather 

Dr. Pearce . Frank Wilcox 

Miss Lawrence . Nan Martin 

Byron Holgate . Trig Coffin 

Bugala . William Phillips 

Cliff . Leon Alton 

Gina . Phyllis Graffeo 

Mrs. Hopkins’ Maid.Dorothy Adams 

Maid .. Dorothy Phillips 

Secretary . Mary Benoit 

Business Executive .King Lockwood 

Elevator Starter . Lomax Study 

Walter . John Breen 

Italian Farm Wife .Renata Vannl 

-Carriage Driver . Mario Slletti 

Crew Chief . Lee Graham 

Mr. Sims . Michael Jeffrey 

Master Sergeant Mathews.Roy Glenn 


There are at least three ways of 
bringing a bestselling novel to the 
screen. Either the basic story 
thread is used to tell a photo¬ 
graphic yarn which may go way 
beyond the original idea; or the 
film is restricted to what is actu¬ 
ally in the book, but also makes an 
attempt to convey the underlying 
idea the author may have had in 
mind. The third possibility would 
be to make a picture that care¬ 
fully and conscientiously encom¬ 
passes each major scene and piece 
of dialog in the novel, but doesn’t 
go any further than to just visual¬ 
ize a story and its characters. 

“The Man In the Gray Flannel 
Suit,” which Darryl F. Zanuck has 
produced for 20th-Fox with an 
abundance of elegant sets and a 
solid array of marquee names, fol¬ 
lows the latter alternative. It’s 
big, it’s long (two and a half hours), 
it has a wealth of visual values 
via Cinemascope and coldr, and 
its subject matter smacks of b.o. 
from start to finish. All that is 
missing is the spirit of the author. 
Some may miss it, others may not. 
But the lack of it doesn’t enhance 
the value of the production. 

This is the story, partly told in 
flashback, of a man about to go 
“Madison Avenue.” It’s the story 
of a young American suburbanite 
who gets a chance to become a big 
shot with a television network and 
turns it down—at least in the 
ficreen version—because he realizes 
that he’s a nine-to-five man to whom 
family means more than success. 

It’s also the story of a man with 
a conscience, who, during the war, 
had a love affair in Rome which 
resulted in a child. When he tells 
his wife about it, their marriage al¬ 
most breaks up. Eventually, they 
work things out with expected 
decency. 

As the “Man in the Gray Flan¬ 
nel Suit,” Gregory Peck is hand¬ 
some and appealing, if not always 
convincing. It is only really in the 
romantic sequences with Marisa 
Pavan, who plays his Italian love, 
that he takes on warmth and be¬ 
comes believable. These are among 
the best scenes in the film, and 
Miss Pavan, an Italian beauty, is 
human and delightful in the role 
of the girl who knows that she 
must make the most of the brief 
moments that are theirs. 

Playing opposite Peck as his 
wile is Jennifer Jones, and her 
concept of the role is faulty to a 
serious degree. Miss Jones allows 
almost no feeling of any real re¬ 
lationship between her and Peck. 
She alternates between being the 
nagging wife and the frustrated 
lover, except that she rarely con¬ 
veys the impression of being in 
, ve W1 i h her husband in the first 
place. Their scenes together, and 
particularly her climactic blowup 
When she learns about his illegiti¬ 
mate son, are often awkward and 
.drawn out. They never come alive 
as people. 

As the broadcasting tycoon, 
lonely in his power, Fredi'ic March 
is excellent, and the scenes be¬ 
tween him and Peck lift the pic¬ 
ture high above the ordinary. Ann 
•Warding as March’s neglected wife 
has the proper air of disillusion¬ 
ment and turns in a topnotch per¬ 
formance. ,Gigi Perreau, on the 


other hand, is March'* rebellious 
daughter, leave* much to wish for 
and doesn't seem right for a part 
that calls for more sophistication. 

In smaller parts, Lee J. Cobb 
does nobly as Judge Bernstein; 
Keenan Wynn takes a straight role 
in his striae. Arthur O’Connell and 
Henry Daniell turn in precious 
caricatures of network execs and 
seem drawn from life. Connie Gil¬ 
christ is a howl as the autocratic 
housekeeper who keeps the chil¬ 
dren in line when Miss Jones 
comes down with the chickenpox. 

“Man in the Gray Flannel Suit” 
often seems episodic and it’s over- 
long. Where, in some spots it 
moves along briskly, -in others it 
lags. Also, some parts are defi¬ 
nitely better than others. The 
flashbacks to the war, when Peck 
as a paratrooper has to kill a Ger¬ 
man, are effective. Even better, 
and more exciting, is his recollec¬ 
tion of the incident in the Pacific, 
when by mistake he kills his buddy 
with a grenade in combat and car¬ 
ries the dead man back to the 
beach, calling for a doctor. 

And again in the Peck home, 
the incident with the boy (Mickey 
Maga) deciding to leave home in 
his Foreign Legionhaire uniform, 
has genuine warmth. Peck himself 
is an actor who seems to adapt 
himself to every role he takes. In 
this, he at times seems to lack 
emotion even though, on the whole, 
his performance will rouse few 
criticisms. 

In adapting the screenplay from 
the book, Nunnally Johnson has 
caught the detail perfectly, and 
the dialog rings true. His direc¬ 
tion is uneven, which accounts for 
the occasional lags. There are a 
good many imaginative touches in 
the picture, but Johnson must 
share the blame for Miss Jones' 
performance (he could at least 
have cut some of those closeups) 
and he alone is responsible for the 
fact that the picture so deter¬ 
minedly misses the point of the 
book which made the flannel suit 
a symbol* rather than just a gar¬ 
ment. 

Zanuck’s production has about 
it an opulence that automatically 
puts it into the big league. The 
sets are elegant. Cameraman 
Charles G. Clarke has used Cine¬ 
mascope to good advantage, and 
the De Luxe color is better than 
ever, using pleasingly subtle 
shades. “Man in the Gray Flannel 
Suit” may not be Zanuck’s best, 
but it’s a cinch to please a lot of 
people. Hift. 


Jubal 

(C’SCOPE—COLOR) 


Socko western drama with 
Glenn Ford, Ernest Borgnine, 
Rod Steiger and stout b.o. po¬ 
tential. 


Ballet of Romeo & Juliet 

Thl* Russian-made color 
film, running 96 minutes, 
which opened at the Paris, 
N.Y., April 2, '56, under the 
American distribution of To- 
han Pictures, was reviewed 
from the Cannes Film Festival 
(where it copped a prize) in 
issue of May 18, 1955. 

VarietYs Mosk said, in part: 

“Dance firmly welded to 
film form , . . acting well con¬ 
trolled for exciting effects . . . 
raging feud of Montagues and 
Capulets executed with su¬ 
perbly mounted dueling scene 
. . . editing, color, music and 
highly skilled production all 
. blend to make this a solid off- 
beater.” 


(Tradesters will not fail to 
remark the virtuosity of the 
Russian ballerina, Galina Ula¬ 
nova, playing Juliet, Her ex¬ 
ceptional skill and artistry and 
youthful' bodily discipline is 
the more remarkable as she is, 
at the moment, aged 46.—Ed.) 


the lensing by Charles Lawton Jr., 
and the second unit photography 
by Ray Cory. 

Ford, a drifting cowpoke, runs 
into trouble when he takes a job 
on the cattle ranch operated by 
Borgnine, who has befriended him. 
Valerie French, the rancher’s 
amoral wife makes an open, but 
abortive play for him and Steiger, 
jealous, cowpoke on the ranch who 
doesn’t like to see himself replaced 
in her extra-martial activities, 
plots to get even with his possible 
rival. 

Th'e break comes when Ford is 
forced to kill Borgnine in self- 
defense after the latter has been 
told by his wife that she had been 
unfaithful. Steiger eggs on a posse 
to hang Ford, meantime taking 
time out for a brutal beating-rape 
scene with the new widow. How¬ 
ever, (Ford is saved by her dying 
words as the posse catches up with 
him, and turns to Felicia Farr, 
gentle, religious girl with whom he 
has found love. 

Oddly enough, much of the foot¬ 
age is free of actual physical vio¬ 
lence, but the nerves are stretched 
so taut that it’s almost a relief 
when it does come. Ford is quietly 
effective in his understanding un¬ 
derplaying of the cowpoke who 
wants to settle down. Borgnine is 
excellent as the curiously rough 
but gentle man who has to die in 
the tragic triangle. Steiger, who 
has changed his accent but not his 
act, spews an evil venon over the 
footage as the drawling cowhand 
who wants the ranch and the 
rancher’s wife. There hasn’t been 
as hateful a screen heavy around 
in a long time. ' 


Hollywood, April 3. 

Columbia release of WUllam Fadiman 
production. Stars Glenn Ford, Ernest 
Borgnine, Rod Steiger; Introducing Va¬ 
lerie French, Felicia Farr; features Basil 
Ruysdael, Noah Berry Jr., Charles Bron¬ 
son, John Dierkes, Jack Elam, Robert 
Burtoh. Directed by Delmer Daves. 
Screenplay, Russell S. Hughes, Daves; 
based on "Jubal Troop,” novel by Paul 
I. Wellman: camera (Technicolor), Charles 
Lawton Jr.; editor, A1 Clark; score, 
David Raksln; conducted by Morris Sto- 
loff. Previewed March 29, '56. Running 
time, 100 MINS. 

Jubal Troop . Glenn Ford 

Shep Horgan.Ernest Borgnine 

flnky . Rod Steiger 

Mae Horgan . Valerie French 

Naomi Hoktor . Felicia Farr 

Shem Hoktor . Basil Ruysdael 

Sam . Noah Beery Jr. 

Reb Haislipp . Charles Bronson 

Carson . John Dierkes 

•McCoy . Jack Elam 

Dr. Grant .Robert Burton 

Jake Slavin . Robert Knapp 

Charity Hoktor . Juney Ellis 

Jim Tolliver . Don C. Harvey 

Cookie . Guy Wllkerson 

Bayne .Larry Hudson 

Tolliver Boy . Mike Lawrence 

Tolliver Boy.Robert Henry 


A gripping dramatic story set in 
pioneer Wyoming and three potent 
male star names make “Jubal” fig¬ 
ure as an important boxoffice, en¬ 
try. Decorating the marquees with 
the names of Glenn Ford, Ernest 
Borgnine and Rod Steiger gives 
ticket-selling impetus in most any 
situation and when'they are tied 
to the type of adult, suspenseful 
western offered here, business 
prospects brighten to stout figures. 

The strong point of the William 
Fadiman production, along with 
ace performances and an overall 
plot line that grips tightly, is a 
constantly mounting suspense. The 
expectancy never lets up once pre¬ 
liminaries are out of the way and 
the viewer sits back and tensely 
awaits the climactic battle between 
the forces of good and evil. 

Delmer Daves’ direction and the 
script he wrote with Russell S. 
Hughes from Paul I. Wellman’s 
novel carefully build towards the 
explosion that’s certain to come, 
taking time along the way to make 
sure that all characters. are well- 
rounded and understandable. Cap¬ 
ping all this emotional suspense is 
the playoff against the backdrop 
of the Grand Teton country in Wy¬ 
oming, beautifully captured in 
CiqemaScope and- Technicolor 'by 


Both femmes score strongly, par¬ 
ticularly Miss French because of 
her more colorful, sexy character, 
but Miss Farr’s sweet girl role 
makes just the right contrast. It’s 
a promising introduction forjboth 
newcomers. Basil Rqysdaer, as 
Miss Farr’s kindly father; Noah 
Beery Jr., and John Dierkes. fel¬ 
low ranch hands; Charles Bronson, 
Jack Elam, Robert Burton, Robert 
Knapp, Juney Ellis, and Guy Wilk- 
erson are among others whose 
performances bolster the overall 
punch of the dramatics. 

David Raksln’s score, featuring, 
a guitar and conducted by Morris 
Stiploff, is a plus factor. A1 Clark’s 
editing is topflight, as are the art 
direction, set decorations and 
other phases of the presentation. 

Brog. 

Blackjack Ketchuin, 
Desperado 

Howard Duff, Victor. Jory in 
okay wfestern actioner. 


Hollywood, April 3. 

Columbia release of Sam Katzman 
(Clover) production. Stars Howard Duff, 
J cP- Features Maggie Mahoney, 
Angela Stevens, David Orrick, William 
&J. n, D Ke “ Christy, Martin Garralaga, 
Robert Roark, Don C. Harvey, Pat O’Mal- 
iey. Jack Littlefield, Sydney Mason. Di- 
J E ^ 1 .. B ! Ua P iy - Screenplay, Lucl 
Ward, Jack Natteford; based on the novel 
by Louis L’Amour; camera, Fred Jack- 
£ r, ;,r edi £ or ' Saul A. Goodkind. Pre¬ 
viewed March 28, '56. Running time, 75 

Blackjack . Howard Duff 

Jared Tetjow . Victor Jory 

. Maggie Mahoney 

Webster.Angela Stevens 

Bob Early .. David Orrick 

J^vaUk .WUHam Tannen 

Sheriff- Macy . Ken Christy 

Jaime Brigo .Martin Garralaga 

Ben Tetlow .......Robert Roark 

Mac Gill .... Don C. Harvey 

Doc Blaine . Pat O'Malley 

Tetlow .Jack Littlefield 

Matt Riordan .>, Sydney Mason 

Happy Harrow ..Ralph Sanford 

Andy Tetlow.George Edward Mather 

Jarry^Carson . Charles. Wagenheim 

Grat Barbey .. Wes Hudman 

A satisfactory round of western 
action is dished up in this Colum¬ 
bia entry and it should fare okay 
in the outdoor market. It’s another 
telling of the stiory about a gun- 
fighter anxious to live down his 
reputation, but’ fefreed t6 ffghtrfbr 

i< .t ■ ■ i (iM in t • 1 i • 


right when a big cattle baron tries 
to take over a peaceful valley. 

Basic plot has some good em¬ 
broidery as scripted by Luci Ward 
and Jack Natteford from the novel 
by Louis L’Amour. The playing, 
too,, Is up to all demands of script 
and Earl Bellamy’s* direction, so 
the playoff, although familiar, 
holds interest. Sam Katzman’s pro¬ 
duction supervision gives the pic¬ 
ture all it needs to merit attention 
in the market at which it is aimedt 

Howard Duff performs easily as 
the gunslinger trying to shake his 
past and settle down with Maggie 
Mahonej', but when Victor Jory 
moves in with his brothers and a 
large herd of cattle to force the 
small ranchers out, the hero lends 
his special skill to down the bad¬ 
dies. The romantic angles are 
rather realistically stated for a 
program western; so are some of 
the other points the pic makes, but 
without detracting from the essen¬ 
tial action. 

Miss Mahoney is good opposite 
Duff and Jory plays his villainry to 
the hilt. Angela Stevens is an extra 
girl in the plotting but is easy to 
look at. Robert Roark and George 
Edward Mather, as Jory’s two 
younger brothers; David Orrick, 
William Tannen, as Jory’s chief 
gunman; Ken Christy, the honest 
sheriff; Martin Garralaga, Sydney 
Mason and Wes Hudman are 
among those providing satisfactory 
support. 

Fred Jackman Jr.’s cameras, 
plus rather generous use of stock 
footage, help keep up the action. 
Editing and other behind-camera 
credits come off acceptably, too. 

Brog. 


The Feminine Touch 

(BRITISH-COLOR) 


Romantic yarn of probationer 
nurses in London hospital; 
likely prospects in domestic 
market. 


London, March 27. 

Rank release of a Michael Balcon- 
Ealing Studios production. Stars George 
Baker, Belinda Lee, Delphi Lawrence, 
Adrienne Corri, Mandy and Diana Wyn- 
yard. Directed, by Pat Jackson. Screen¬ 
play, W. P. Lipscombe and Richard Mason 
from novel by Sheila MacKay Russell; 
camera, Paul Beeson; editor, Peter Bezen- 
cenet; music, Clifton Parker. At Gau- 
mont Theatre, London. March 27, '56. 
Running time, 91 MINS. 


Jim ...George Baker 

Susan .Belinda Lee 

Pat-.Delphi Lawrence 

Maureen .Adrienne Corri 

Anne . Henryetta Edward? 

Liz.....Barbara Archer 

The Matron ...Diana Wynyard 

Home Sister.Joan Haythorne 

Sister Snow.Beatrice Varley 

Theatre Sister.Joan Carol 

Assistant Matron........ Constance Fraser 

Second-year Nurse.. .Vivienne Drummond 

Ted RusseU.Christopher Rhodes 

Casualty Doctor.Richard Leech 

Lofty ..'.Newton Blick 

The Skivvy.Dandy Nichols 

The Gardener.Mark Daly 

Jessie ..Mantly 

The Suicide .. Dorothy Alison 

Bateman.Joss Ambler 


As a tribute to the young women 
with a sense of vocation who take 
up nursing as a career, “The Femi¬ 
nine Touch” is worthwhile, and as 
a piece of romantic entertainment, 
it is more than adequate. Pic has 
valuable exploitation angles which 
should help returns in the domes¬ 
tic market. 

• Among the last of the. produc¬ 
tions to be. lensed at Ealing Stu¬ 
dios (since taken over by BBC-TV), 
“Touch” does not disguise the 
hardships, and irritations endured 
by the trainee nurse, but does re¬ 
sort to a romantic veneer in its 
picture of hospital life. Set almost 
entirely in the hospital and envi¬ 
rons,-yarn has few comedy touches 
as well as strong dramatic angles. 

Would-be nurses are shown . at 
the hospital, main action concen¬ 
trating on their probationer duties. 
Alongside the basic story-line, the 
plot focuses on the romantic aspi¬ 
rations of two recruits. One, Del¬ 
phi Lawrence, frankly admits she 
has no sense- of vocation, but is on 
the prowl for a handsome, wealthy 
doctor as a husband. The other, 
Belinda Lee, gets romantically en¬ 
tangled with the house physician, 
and has to decide, whether to com¬ 
plete her studies or go with him to 
Canada. 

Realistic hospital backgrounds 
help create a vivid atmosphere for 
a number of dramatic cameos, one 
featuring an attempted suicide vic¬ 
tim who finds the will to live; and 
another depicting how the prompt 
action of a night nurse saves the 
life of a patient. 

Cast is competent .without being 
standout. Miss Lee, a handsome 
blonde, is rapidly improving as an 
actress. Miss Lawrence strikes' the 
right note of cynicism; Adrienne 
Corri is a vivacious Irish trainee; 
and Diana Wynyard oozes sincerity 
as the matron. Mandy, a veteran 
child performer, turns in a tear- 
jerking study as a kid who is ex¬ 
pecting to die of a heart ailment. 
George Baker gives a flawless peri- 
farmance of the house physician 
and Christopher Rhodes neatly fills 
the role of the pathologist. Pat 
Jackson’s fluid direction is 
matched by allaround high techni¬ 
cal standard. ' 1 ' 4 Myx'o. ' 


Alexander, the Great 

(C’SCOPE—COLOR) 


Super-sized costumed spec¬ 
tacle, backed by big-scale ad- 
pub campaign. Shy on names, 
overlong and occasionally lag¬ 
gard entertainment but big b.o. 


Hollywood, March 29. 

United Artists release of Robert Ros- 
sen production. Stars Richard Burton. 
Fredric March, Claire Bloom, Danielle 
Darrieux; features Barry Jones, Harry 

£«e dre w 8 ,\ 4 Stanle ^ B J*, k€r i NiaH- MacGin- 
his. Written and directed by Rossenj 
camera (Technicolor), Robert Kraskerj 
editor. Ralph Kemplen; score, Mario 

Na?cimbene. Previewed March 27, ’58 
Running time, 143 MINS. 

Alexander the Great.Richard Burton 

Philip of Macedonia..Fredric March 

Barsine . Claire Bloom 

Olympias . Danniellc Darrieux 

® ari ! ls . Harry Andrews 

Attalus . Stanley Baker 

Parmenio . Niall MacGinnis 

Memnon ... Peter Cushing 

Demosthenes . Michael Hordern 

Anstotle . Barry Jones 

Eurydice . Marisa De Leza 

Cleitus .. Gustavo Rojo 

Phdotas . Ruben Rojo 

Aeschines . William Squire 

Noctanebus . Helmut Dantine 

Antipater . Friedrich Ledebur 

Pausanias . Peter Wyngarde 

g* 01 *™* . Virgilio Texeira 

Rox.ane . leresa Del Rio 

.. Julio Pena 

Spithridates . Jose Nieto 

Nearchus . Carlos Baena 

Perdiccas . Larry Taylor 

Harpalus . Jose Marco 

Hephaestion . Ricardo Valle 

Stateira ... Carmen Carulla 

Arlstander. Jesus Luque 

Drunken Woman . Ramsey Ames 

Messenger . Mario De Barros 

Orchas . Carlos Acevedo 


It took “Alexander, the Great” 
some 10 years to conquer the 
known world back in the fourth 
[century, B.C. It seems to take 
Robert Rossen almost as long to 
recreate on film this slice of his¬ 
tory. Despite the length, however, 
he has fashioned a CinemaScope- 
Technicolor spectacle of tremen¬ 
dous size that bids fair to reap 
handsome boxoffice spoils. Help¬ 
ing the latter is the -ad-pub cam¬ 
paign being used by United Artists 
to launch the pic. It matches in 
scope the spectacle itself and 
should be of enormous value in 
gaining big key city openings. 
Thereafter, unless the big sell has 
a follow-through, the film will be 
on its own and the Usual mixed 
wicket reaction goin£ to spectacles 
will be the rule. 

Written, produced and directed 
by Rossen 0 in Spain and Italy, the 
presentation is neither niggardly 
in the coin lavished on its physi¬ 
cal makeup nor in the outlay for 
the talented international cast that 
enacts the historical saga of a man 
who believed both that he was a 
god and in his destiny to unite the 
world of his day—a task that is 
credited with starting the- unifica¬ 
tion of Europe and Asia and pav¬ 
ing the way for the spread of 
Christianity centuries later. 

By attempting to crowd in the 
story of Alexander through boy¬ 
hood and manhood, along with the 
major battles fought, the march 
through Persia and later India, 
along with the pomp and ceremony 
of the period, Rossen is not always 
able to hold interest in his story 
and action, resulting in some long, 
dull stretches. Nor do the players 
have much chance to be more than 
puppets against the giant sweep 
of the spectacle. There are a num¬ 
ber of single scenes that give the 
individual characters a chance to 
grow. When they have, them, 
artists such as Richard Burton, in 
the title role, and Fredric March, 
as his father, Philip, the Barbarian 
9 f Macedonia, give them a lifelike 
impact. 

Alexander's romance with Bar- 
sine (Claire Bloom), recorded as 
the great love of his short life, is 
more implied than realized, but 
she does have some fine, expres¬ 
sive moments. Perhaps scoring 
stronger on the femme end is 
Danielle Darrieux (wh(T rates spe¬ 
cial billing as “the French star”) 
in her portrayal of Olympias, 
mother of Alexander, because of 
the intrigue she practices to fulfill 
her son’s destiny. . 

Rossen reaches screen-filling 
heights with his battle assem¬ 
blages, jamming the 2.55-1 ana- 
morphic ratio to its very edges 
with scene after scene of mass war¬ 
fare. Mounted and foot soldiers 
fight and die, and to emphasize the 
hand-to-hand nature of the killing, 
Rossen includes a number of gory, 
shots, like the severed arm floating 
in blood-dyed water. He’s equally 
able in staging his elegant court 
scenes, Grecian and Oriental, and, 
with the striking photographic 
work of Robert Krasker, the pic¬ 
ture is one of pictorial splendor. 
However, an anamorphic flaw not 
yet corrected is that special ef¬ 
fects look just that, not real. 

Barry Jones, $s Aristotle, who 
tutors and counsels Alexander dur¬ 
ing the latter’s youth; Harry An¬ 
drews; as Darius, the .Persian 
ruler; Stanley Baker, as the blood¬ 
thirsty Attalus; Niall MacGipnis, 
as Philip’s general Parmenio; 
Peter Cushing, as Memnon; Gus- 
(Contiriued tin’page 16) ( 


1 































































































































Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


PH&ZIETY 


PICTURES 7 


SELLING COSTS RISE 12 TO 34% 


Sales Costs Vs. Distributor Grosses 


MORE EXPENSES 


Warners Deal Last for a While? 


[Contrasting 1955 to 1952] 

Following are the comparative cost and income figures for four 
major companies—20th-Fpx, Loew’s, Universal and Warner Bros. 
_for the years 1955 and 1952. Figures are for millions of dollars: 


[1955 [ 11952 | 


COSTS INCOME COSTS INCOME 

[Read Millions ] 

20th-Fox .$31,129 $120,807 $27,753 $ 99,820 

Metro . 71,448 170,952 72,701 178,525 

Universal . 27,866 77,832 20,801 64,128 

Warners . 19,313 76,991 16,831 74,396 


Labs & TV Bright Theatres Dim, 

With Yates; Gentle Stockholders 
Hear Rep Prez Tell of Salary Woes 


Republic stockholders gathered 
in New York yesterday (Tues.) for 
what Herbert J. Yates described 
as a “quiet, pleasurable meeting— 
nobody tried to knock the presi¬ 
dent’s head off.” Thanks, said the 
chief exec. 

Fact that this was a placid ses¬ 
sion presented a contrast with the 
heated annual get-together last 
year when minority investors, 
threatening a revolt, had the sup¬ 
port of Bernard E. Smith Jr., 
member of the Rep board. 

There were a couple of ques¬ 
tions ^yesterday on executive sal¬ 
aries "plus the continued absence 
of cash dividends on the common 
stock and Yates was well prepared 
for them. To the apparent satis¬ 
faction of the interrogators, he 
stated that Rep works on a limited 
capital basis and income is needed 
for expansion and provision for 
taxes—^consequently divvies would 
be unwise. But what about the 
earnings; if there are taxes there 
must be; income? “There is a profit 
but they (Internal Revenue) take 
it and expansion takes the rest of 
it," said the prez. 

As for the payoff to execs, they 
have taxes, too, along with the 
high cost of living, explained 
Yates, adding: ‘‘I can’t navigate 
now on my salary. I'm living par¬ 
tially on my assets. I must main¬ 
tain a home here (N. Y.), on Long 
Island and on the Coast.” Exec’s 
remuneration in 1955 was $175,470. 

Concerning Rep’s future, the 
chief is continuing high on the 
company’s laboratory business and 
television activities. But he,still 
“can't be optimistic” about the the- 
(Continued on page 15) 

Tax Threats On 
TV, O’SeasBiz 

Many film companies are facing 
a double set of tax problems, Her¬ 
bert J. Yates, president of'Repub¬ 
lic, told the annual meeting of Rep 
stockholders in New York yester¬ 
day (Tues.). 

On one front, up for study by 
internal. Revenue are earnings ac- 
cruing to the distributors from 
the foreign market in the pre-1949 
years. 

Second, there’s concern over 
now proceeds from the disposition 
°t old product to television can be 
niade subject to capital gains tax¬ 
ation of 26%, rather than the 52% 
bite on straight corporate income. 
■Kep has its lawyers in Washington 
at present working on the matter, 
ijates disclosed. The legalites feel, 
ne added, that the cap gains can 
apply if outright sale of tv rights 
jo the films is involved, rather 
than any leasing arrangement. 

.Yates some time ago turned, 
over distribution of old Gene 
Autry'and Rcy Rogers westerns to 
music Corp, of America on a per¬ 
centage deal—roughly 30% of the 
gioss to MCA arid the balance to 
Kep - These pictures ought to 
gossan ultimate total of $10,000,- 
O00, Yates said he'figures, adding 
r?® company already has collected 

000,000 which will be credited 
Jo the.first quarter of the current 
fiscal year. 


Ads ‘Diabolique/ Too 

Boston, April 3. 

Boston tradesters are abuzz 
over the horror content of the 
Beacon Hill Theatre’s ads for 
“Diabolique," French import. 

Insertions at the start were 
only one-column in width and 
offered, a macabre view of a 
character in the film who is 
supposed to have drowned. The 
theatre this week upped the 
space to three columns. 

Business has been good de¬ 
spite four snow storms. 


Japanese Double 
Import Budget 

Tokyo, April 3. 

The Film Investigation Commit¬ 
tee of the Japanese Finance Min¬ 
istry has recommended to the 
Finance Minister that the foreign 
currency budget for the import of 
foreign films during the 1956-57 
fiscal year which began April 1 
be set at $11,500,000, more than 
double the $5,280,000 allotted for 
fiscal 1955-56. 

Official confirmation by the min¬ 
istry is expected at any moment. 
In- past years recommendations by 
the committee have been accepted 
in toto and it is fully expected that 
this will be done again this year. 

The .committee also recommend¬ 
ed that $9,000,000 of the allocation 
be set aside for home office re¬ 
mittances which may mean a rise 
of home office remittances by 
U, S. film companies from the 
present 14% to as much as 25% 
or 33%. 

Also recommended was the re¬ 
placement of the sterling and 
open account areas for. foreign 
currency allocation to a system of 
global and non-dollar areas, in¬ 
dicating an easier policy on film 
import for the upcoming year and 
reflecting the greatly improved 
condition of Japan’s foreign Cur¬ 
rency holdings. 

The remaining $2,500,000 would 
be used, the committee’s report 
suggested; to gradually defreeze 
the frozen yen holdings of foreign 
film distributors here. A small part 
of it would be used for a few tv 
film imports. 

More films will be imported dur¬ 
ing the coming year if the commit¬ 
tee’s recommendations * are ac¬ 
cepted. It urged maintaining the 
present. basic quota of 164 films 
but raised the quota of “superior" 
film bonus licenses from six to 
eight. Extra licenses awarded to 
importer-exporters who earn spe¬ 
cific amounts of foreign currency 
by export of Japanese films would 
be raised from 10 to 15. The 102 
import licenses to be granted to 
U. S. distributors will be given di¬ 
rectly to the MPEA for division 
under the MPEA global system in 
1956-57 instead of being allotted to 
individual importers, the commit¬ 
tee said. 

Import of color film prints 
would- be limited to 12 per picture 
as during the present year. 



The cost of selling pictures, 
which has never been low, con¬ 
tinues to rise year by year. 

Despite determined efforts to 
economize on all fronts, including 
the foreign market, distribution 
and administrative expenses are 
continuing to go up at most of the- 
film companies. The comparative 
ratio of costs between 1952 and 
1955 is, in most iristances, higher 
than the rising level of income. 

Example would be Universal, 
which during the past four years 
has made tremendous strides both 
at home and abroad. Yet, where its 
overall income was up 21% during 
the four-year span, its general costs 
skyrocketed 34%, 

Company that showed a drpp in 
expenses for the period is Metro. 
However, the outfit’s overall in¬ 
come also went down. This has 
to be figured in the light of di¬ 
vorcement, with theatre operation 
and ownership a factor in both 
totals. 

Annual report of 20th-Fox, out 
’last week, put film distribution j 
and administrative expenses at 
$31,129,068, a record high. Figure 
last year was $28,888,118, not. in¬ 
cluding foreign taxes. In 1952, 
it stood at $27,753,000 and the year 
before that it was still lower, $24,- 
656,BOO. 

Percentagewise, the 20th in¬ 
crease in costs between 1952 and 
1955 ran to 12%. Yet, in the case 
of 20th, because of CinemaScope 
and other reasons, the rise in over¬ 
all income came to almost double 
that total, or 21%. It was $120,- 
807,000 this year against $99,820,- 
000 in 1952. 

Warner Bros., on the other hand, 
registered a 14% boost in selling 
costs since 1952 while its income 
went up only 3%, from $74,396,000 
in ’52 to $76,991,000 last year. 

One of the main items in the 
debit ledger of the distributors, of 
course, are rising salaries all over 
the world, 1 and particularly abroad. 
In some instances there has been 
expansion, too, and many other fac¬ 
tors have a bearing on overall 
costs. The figures show that the 
companies haven’t been successful 
in stemming the tide ' and that 
economy measures,' however string¬ 
ent, haven’t really helped. 

Constantly rising level of foreign 
taxes also is an important expense 
item, though some companies list 
it separately. 


Doubt More Outright Backlog 
Deals Now; Companies Evaluating 


Loew 28-Wk. Earnings 


I Loew’s Inc.'s earnings for the 
28-week period eliding in mid- 
March is expected to hit 37c per 
share of common stock as com¬ 
pared to 64c for the same period 
of 1955. The second quarter -per 
share earnings, it’s anticipated, will 
be 32c, a marked improvement over 
the 5c per. share first quarter. 

The 32c for the most recent quar¬ 
ter is almost equal to 34c for the 
same quarter a year ago. The 
heavy drop in the first quarter 
totals of this year makes the dif¬ 
ference in the half-year totals. This 
year’s 5c first quarter compares 
with 30c a year ago.' 

. The official half-year financial 
report will be issued late this 
month following the board of di¬ 
rectors meeting on the Coast. 


U Tops Film Biz 
In Mag Supp Use 

Universal, for the second year 
in a row, made the most use of na¬ 
tional magazine and Sunday sup¬ 
plement advertising, according to 
the Publishers Information Bureau 
report for 1955. 

As interpreted by the film com¬ 
pany, Universal was represented 
with 20 pictures out of the in¬ 
dustry’s 88 pictures that were 
given national magazine campaigns 
during 1955. It’s also noted in the 
PBI report that U used more dif¬ 
ferent publications than any other 
film company, its carnpaigns cover¬ 
ing 26 national iriagazines and 
Sunday supps. According to U, the 
report states that the company led 
all other film companies in dollar 
expenditure for national magazine 
display advertising. However, no 
figures were disclosed. 


♦- Warner Bros.’ sale of its backlog 
of old films to television for $21,- 
000,000 may be the last of the 
wholesale unloading of used prod¬ 
uct by the major film companies 
for some time. There are indica¬ 
tions of a growing opposition to 
the outright sale of films and the 
development of a policy of releas¬ 
ing the pictures via controlled 
lease arrangements or -organizing 
subsidiary distribution arms. 

A combination of factors—in¬ 
cluding exhibitor opposition, the 
rerelease value of the pix in the 
domestic and especially the for¬ 
eign market, arid concern over the 
industry’s relinquishing of its 
“birthright"—are among the rea¬ 
sons for the change in attitude. 
This, of course, doesmot mean that 
the pix-to-tv trend will be com¬ 
pletely halted. However, a reeval¬ 
uation by the film companies of 
the television situation indicates 
that a brake will be applied and a 
new formula be sought in making 
feature product available to video. 

Metro’s current . wrestling with 
the tv problem places sharp focus 
bn the industry’ dilemma. Because 
of the recent drop in its earnings, 
Metro is committed—at the urging 
of its stockholders—to realize some 
‘additional coin from its valuable 
backlog via a deal with tv interests. 
It’s no secret, of course, that M-G 
has been holding numerous con¬ 
versations with potential buyers. 
The company, however, has not 
been able to conclude a deal be¬ 
cause of its reluctance to make an 
outright sale, its insistence on a 
short-term lease agreement, and its 
high asking price. 

M-G’s negotiations with National 
Telefilm Associates for; the lease 
of 37 “Andy Hardy," “Maisie," and 
“Dr. Kildare" films have been 
stalemated because of the film 
company's demand for $50,000 per 
film on a three-year lease. NTA 
regards the price too stiff and the 
time period as too short. 

Nevertheless, Metro is continu- 
(Continued on page 15) 


Cinerama On % 

In Some Towns 


'Diabolique’ Year’s Surprise Import 


Film Acquired Outright for $250,000 by Richard 
Davis Shapes as Top U.S. French Grosser 


“Diabolique,” a French thriller 
directed by George Clouzot, is rap¬ 
idly emerging as the surprise im¬ 
port hit of several years, playing 
off in situations that ordinarily 
don’t even touch foreign lingual- 
ers. 

Pic, with no names for the mar¬ 
quee, but the reputation of a smash 
20 week run at the Fine Art The¬ 
atre, N. Y. (where it’ll go another 
three weeks), is released in the 
U. S. by Richard Davis’ United 
Motion Picture Organization. 

Davis last week acquired “Dia¬ 
bolique" outright for a five year 
period against payment of $250,000 
in cash. Pic will eventually be 
dubbed for the regular commercial 
runs. Davis expects a total U. S. 
gross of between $750,000 to $800,- 
000, which would make it the rec¬ 
ord grosser among the French lin- 
gualers. 

Tied in with the “Diabolique” 
deal, which Davis negotiated with 
French producer George Loureau, 
Davis (who owns the Fine Arts 
and the Ziegfeld in Chicago, also 
acquired Loureau’s “Grand Man- 
ouevre” on a six-year distribution 
deal. Advance is said to run to 
$ 100 , 000 . 

At a time when the French are 
prone to shed tears over their in¬ 
ability to make dent outside the 
| keys, “Diabolique” has racked up 


drive-in dates in the South and has 
broken house records in many 
spots. It stands a good chance of 
ending up as one of the top for¬ 
eign grossers since the war. 

The French, while by no means 
delivering product of extraordinary 
quality, in recent months have 
managed to push ahead of the Ital¬ 
ians who’ve had very little to offer. 
Overseas product generally has 
been disappointing in the last cou¬ 
ple of seasons, with only an occa¬ 
sional sprinkling of hits. However, 
some upcoming French pix, such 
as “French Can-Can," are said to 
have b.o. potential. 

“Diabolique,” from the same dis¬ 
tribution stable as the strong-gross¬ 
ing “M. Hulot’s Holiday" and 
“Sheep Has Five Legs,” has had 
commercial house bookings on the 
Fox. Intermountain, Salomon, Penn- 
Paramount and other circuits apart 
from the standard artie dates. In 
Chicago, at the Davis-owned Zieg¬ 
feld, it’s in its 14th week and at 
the DuPont, Wash., it’s been on 
the screen for 12 weeks. 

Observers are somewhat at a 
loss to asqribe the ( success of the 
French thriller to' any particular 
factor other 1 than that it’s unusual 
and has been well handled public¬ 
ity-wise, with UMPO urging patrons 
to keep the surprise ending to 
themselves. 


Stanley Warner, which usually 
leases theatres on a four-wall basi3 
for Cinerama engagements, is now 
considering profit participation 
deals with local theatres as well. 
Both methods are being employed 
by Bernard G. Kranze, .who is 
charged with acquiring additional 
outlets for the Cinerama product 
now available. 

The new profit participation of¬ 
fer has been made possible by the 
development of pre-fabricated, self- 
contained mobile units which can 
be set up without extensive alter¬ 
ations of theatres. As a result, Cin¬ 
erama will be soon available to 
smaller population centers than 
previously sought. Kranze is fore¬ 
casting Cir^rama outlets in such 
cities as Kansas City, Omaha, Salt 
Lake City, Toronto, Cleveland, Den¬ 
ver, and Miami Beach. The new 
series of Cinerama-equipped thea¬ 
tres started with Atlanta Monday 
(2) and follows with Oklahoma 
City on May 21. 


Eagle Clothes Sponsors 
’Flannel Suit’ TV Preem 

For the second time in a row 
the preem of a 20th-Fox picture 
will be televised on a sponsored 
broadcast. 

• Gala bow of “The Man in the 
Gray Flannel Suit” at the Roxy 
Theatre April 12 will be covered 
by local station WPIX in a half- 
hour show sponsored by Eagle 
Clothes. 

On the prior occasion, Snow'* 
bankrolled coverage of the “Car¬ 
ousel” preem on the same station. 







8 


PICTURE GROSSES 


yhmiETY 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


‘Alex Great $25,000 Paces Soaring 
Cleve.; ‘Flannel’ Wow 21G, ‘Backlash’ 
Rousing 14G, ‘Anything’ Fine 15G 


Cleveland, April 3. 

Powerhouse gross totals are be¬ 
ing racked up this stanza here, with 
“Alexander the Great” easily 
standout with a mighty session at 
the Stillman. It opened in terrific 
style over the weekend. “Man in 
Gray Flannel Suit” shapes socko in 
opening Hipp round. “Backlash” 
is rated nice at the Palace while 
“Anything Goes” is okay at the 
State. “Carousel” still is hefty in 
third frame at the Allen. 

Estimates for This Week 

Allen (3,000; 70-$1.25)—“Carou¬ 
sel” (20th) (3d wk). Hefty $14,000. 
Last week, $18,000. 

Hipp (Telem’t) (3,700; 70-$l) — 
“Man in Gray Flannel Suit” (20th). 
Socko $21,000. Last week, "Over- 
Exposed” (Col) and “Rock Around 
the Clock” (Col), $10,000. 

Ohio (Loew) (1,244; 70-$l) — 
“Rose Tattoo” (Par) (m.o.). Fifth 
downtown week, stout $7,000 after 
$10,000 last week. 

Palace (RKO)« (3,285; 70-90) — 
“Backlash” (U). Nice '$14,000. 
Last week, “Creature Walks Among 
Us” (U), $15,000. 

State (Loew) (3,500; 70-90) — 
“Anything’’Goes” (Par). Okay $15,- 
000. Last week, “Song of South” 
(BV) (reissue), $14,800. 

Stillman (Loew) (2,700; 70-90)— 
“Alexander the Great” <UA). Terrif 
newspaper ad promotion, almost 
setting new lineage record here, 
got it off big. Heading for great 
$25,000. Last week, “I’ll Cry 
Tomorrow” (M-G) (6th wk), $7,500. 


‘Carousel’ Sock $18,000, 
Mpls.; ‘Anything’ Fine. 
HQ, ‘South’ $8,500, 2d 

Minneapolis, April 3. 
Miserable weather is being part¬ 
ly offset by spring vacation for 
school kids, with youngsters flock¬ 
ing to the Loop despite the snows. 
Two new offerings, “Carousel” and 
“Anything Goes,” are standout, es¬ 
pecially the former. Most remark¬ 
able aspect of current round, 
though, is how big the holdover 
reissues are doing. “Marty,’’ “Song 
of South” and "Mister Roberts” 
all are attracting brisk trade. 
Estimates for This Week 
Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75- 

$2.65)—-"Cinerama Holiday” (In¬ 
die) (39th wk). Cancelling Good 
Friday performance had some ef¬ 
fect, but vacation matinees helped. 
About $13,500, a bit below stand¬ 
ard for this round. Last week, 
$13,000. 

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-$l)— 
“Marty” (UA) (2d run) (2d wk). 
In 5 days, solid $4,000. Last week, 
$7,500. 

Lyric (Par) <1.000; 85-$l)—“Pic¬ 
nic” (Col) (6th wk). One of most 
durable entries in some time, va¬ 
cations helping. In five-days, $6,- 
000. Last week, strong $8,000. 

Radio City (Par) (4.100; 85-$l)— 
“Carousel” (20th). Big $18,000. 
Last week, “Never Say Goodbye” 
(U), $11,500. 

RKO-Orpheum (RKO) (2,800; 75- 
$1)—"Song of South” (BV) (reis¬ 
sue) (2d wk). Handsome $8,500. 
Last week, $12,500. 

RKO-Pan (RKO) (1.600; 75-$l)— 
“Mister Roberts” (WB) and "Rebel 
Without A Cause” (WB) (2d run) 
(2d wk). Tapering off, but still fair 
at $4,000. Last week, $7,500. 

State (Par) (2,300; 85-$l)—“Any¬ 
thing Goes” (Par). Fine $8,500. 
Last week, “I’ll Cry Tomorrow” 
(MGM) (4th wk), $8,000. 

World (Mann) (400; 75-$1.20)— 
“Rose Tattoo” (Par) (5th wk). Good 
$4,200. Last week $5,700. 

‘Alex’ Giant $28,000, 
Denver; ‘Anything’ 12G 

Denver, April 3. 

Biz started to soar over the past 
weekend, with over-all take likely 
to be best in many weeks here. 
“Alexander the Great” is standout, 
packing the Paramount for a ter¬ 
rific total, and continues on. “I’ll 
Cry Tomorrow” is rated big at 
Orpheum, and stays. “Man in Gray 
Flannel Suit” shapes fancy at the 
Denver while “Anything Goes” 
looms fine at Denham. Both will 
hold. “Carousel” is showing 
enough in third Centre week to 
win a fourth-round holdover. 
Estimates for This Week 
Centre (Fox) (1,247; 60-$l)— 

“Carousel” (20th) (3d wk). Good 
$12,000. Holds. Last week, $14,- 
000 . ’ 
Denham (Cockrill) (1,750; 60-$l) 
(Continued on page 16) 


Broadway Grosses 


Estimated Total Gross 
This Week.$804,300 

(Based on 24 theaires) 

Last Year .$519,600 

(Based on 19 theatres) 


‘Cry’ Huge 13%G, 
Omaha; ‘Arm’ 10G 

Omaha, April 3. 

Expected biz perkup occurred 
Easter Sunday despite rain and 
wind, with all houses registering 
smart takes. “I'll Cry Tomorrow” 
is ace entry at the State, shaping 
terrific. “Carousel” is hep at the 
Orpheum and “Golden Arm” looks 
big at the Brandeis. “Invasion Body 
Snatchers” is attracting big mop¬ 
pet biz at the Omaha, and rated 
good. 

Estimates for This Week 

Brandeis (RKO) (1,000; 75-$l)— 
Golden Arm” (UA). Nifty $10,-1 
000 or near. Last week, “Kiss 
Blood Off Hands” (U) and “Johnny 
Stool Pigeon” (U) (reissues), $4,000. 

Omaha (Tristates) (2,000; 70-90) 
—"Invasion Body Snatchers” (AA) 
and “Indestructible Man” (AA). 
Nice $7,000. Last week, “Back¬ 
lash” (U) and “Square Jungle” (U). 
same. 

Orpheum (Tristates) (2,890; 75- 
$1)—“Carousel” (20th). Fine $14,- 
000. Last week, ‘‘Rose Tattoo” 
(Par), $10,000 in 8 Rays. 

State (Goldberg) (860; 80-$1.25) 
— “I’ll Cry Tomorrow” (M-G). 
Huge $13,500. Last week, “Mister 
Roberts” (WB) and “Rebel Without 
Cause” (WB) (reissues), $5,100 at 
$1 top. 

‘Jester* Lively 27G, 

Mont’l; ‘Carousel’ 25G 

Montreal, April 3. 
Court Jester” at Loew’s is lead¬ 
ing the city this session with a 
great take. “Carousel” also is 
socko at the Palace. “Forever 
Darling” is a bit disappointing at 
the Capitol. 

Estimates for This Week 

Palace (C.T.) (2,625? 60-$l) — 
“Carousel” (20th). Great $25,000. 
Last week, “All Heaven Allows” 
(U) (2d wk), $15,000. 

Capitol (C.T.) (2,412; 50-85)— 

"Forever Darling” (M-G). Mild 
$10,000. Last week, “Last Hunt” 
(M-G). $13,000. 

Princess (C.T.) (2,131; 40-65)— 
“Last Frontier” (Col). Fine $10,- 
000. Last week, “Texas Lady” 
(RKO), $5,000. 

Loew’s (C.T.) (2,847; 60-$l) — 
“Court Jester” (Par). Smash $27,- 
000. Last week. “Goodman Story” 
(U) (2d wk), $16,000. 


‘Las Vegas’ Lofty 10G, 
Port.; ‘Cry’ $11,000, 2d 

Portland, Ore., April 3. 

Firstruns are in high gear this 
session. “Meet Me in LaS Vegas 
shapes as standout newcomer with 
a fancy figure at Liberty. 
“Carousel” holds, for third lusty 
week at the Fox. ‘Til Cry To¬ 
morrow” continues sizzling pace at 
Broadway in second. “Meet Me In 
Las Vegas” is fancy atj:he Liberty. 
“Anything Goes” is only fair at 
Paramount. “On Threshhold Space” 
looms neat at Orpheum. 

Estimates for This Week 

Broadway (Parker) (1,875; $1- 
$1.25)—“Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) (2d 
wk). Loud $11,000. Last week, 
$18,200. 

Fox (Evergreen) (1,536; $1-$1.50) 
—“Carousel” (20th) (3d wk). Tall 
$9,000. Last week, $14,300. 

Guild (Indie) (400; $1)—“Marty” 
(UA) and “Summertime” (UA) (2d 
runs) (2d wk). Big $4,000. Last 
week, $4,600. 

Liberty (Hamrick) (1,890; 90- 

$1.25)—“Meet Me In Las Vegas” 
(M-G). Fancy $10,000 or near. Last 
week, “Comanche” (UA) and 
“Shadow of- Eagle” (UA) (8 days), 
$9,600. 

Orpheum (Evergreen) (1,600; $1- 
$1.25)—“On Threshold Of Space” 
(20th) and “Lover Boy” (20th). Neat 
$9,000. Last week, "Picnic” (Col) 
(4th wk), $10,000. 

Paramount (Port-Par) (3,400; 90- 
$1.25) — “Anything Goes” (Par) 
and “3 Bad Sisters” (UA). Fair 
$8,000. Last week, “Court Jester” 
(Par) and "Storm Fear” (UA) (2d 
wk), $7,300. 

‘Carousel’ Great 
$19,500, Cincy Ace 

Cincinnati, April 3. 

Class product is filling down¬ 
town boxoffice tills this Easter 
stanza. Richest is by "Carousel,” 
looming great in the big Albee. 
“Harder They Fall” shapes as okay 
for Keith’s. “Song of South,” a 
few strides behind the town lead¬ 
ers is encoring merrily in the 
Palace. “I'll Cry Tomorrow” con¬ 
tinues socko in third frame at the 
Grand. Pickup on out-of-town 
groups is perking “Cinerama Holi¬ 
day” in 41st week. 

Estimates for This Week 

Albee (RKO) (3,100; 84-$1.25)— 
"Carousel” (20th). Great $19,500. 
Holds for second round. Last 
week, “Last Hunt” (M-G), at 75- 
$1.10 scale, $10,000. 

Capitol,(Ohio Cinema Corp) (1,- 
376; $1.20-$2.65) — “Cinerama 

Holiday” ( Indie) (41st wk). Perk¬ 
ing to smash $17,000 with pickup 
in out-of-town groups. Last week, 
$13,500. 

Grand (RKO) (1,400; 84-$1.25)— 
“I’ll Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) (3d 
wk). Swell $9,500 after $12,500 
second frame. Holds a fourth. 

Keith’s (Shor) (1,500; 75-$1.25) 
—“Harder They Fall” (Col). Okay 
$10,000, warranting a second 
week. Last week, “Picnic” (Col) 
(5th wk), nine days, $8,600. 

, Palace (RKO) (2,600; 75-$1.10) 
—“Song of South” (BV) (reissue). 
Big $15,000 or close. Last week, 
"Our Miss Brooks” (WB), $7,500. 


‘Anything’ Smash 14G, K. C.; ‘Carousel’ 

, 2 Spots, ‘Space’ Okay 130 


Kansas City, April 3. | 

Heavy money is the rule in city 
as flock of big newcomers are of¬ 
fered patrons. “Carousel” is the 
big leader, getting huge money in 
the little Roxy downtown and do¬ 
ing nicely at the Granada on the 
Kansas side, where day-dating. 
“Anything Goes” at the Paramount 
shapes socko, and holds. “Song of 
South” on reissue at the Missouri 
is surprisingly good. “I'll Cry To¬ 
morrow” is the principal holdover, 
satisfactory in third week. “Thresh¬ 
old of Space” is pleasing in three 
Fox Midwest houses. Weather is 
normally cool and comfortable for 
this season of year. 

Estimates for This Week 

Glen (Dickinson) (700; 75-$l)— 
“Devil in Flesh” (Indie) (2d wk). 
Mild $1,200; may hold. Last week, 
$1,500. 

Kimo (Dickinson) (504; 75-$l)— 
‘Diabolique” (UMPO) (2d wk). 
Fancy $2,000. Holds. Last week, 
$2,500. 

Midland (Loew) (3,500; 75-$l)— 
‘I’ll Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) (3d 
wk). Stays 8 days, oke $8,000. 
Last week, $9 000. 

Missouri (RKO) (2,585; 65-90)— 
“Song of South” (BV) (reissue) 


and “Dig That Uranium” (AA). 
Big $10,000; may stay. Children’s 
admission upped from 25c to 35c 
for this. Last week, "Three Bad 
Sisters” (UA) and “Storm Fear” 
(UA), $4,000. 

Paramount (United Par) (1,900; 
75-$l) — “Anything Goes” (Par). 
Smash $14,000. Stays on. Last 
week, “Rose Tattoo” (Par) (3d wk), 
$ 6 , 000 . 

Roxy (Dunvood) (879; 75-$l-$1.25) 
—“Carousel” (20th). Looks great 
$15,000 or near; holds. Last week, 
“Kettles in Ozarks” (U) (2d wk), 
$2,500. • 

Tower, Uptown, Fairway (Fox 
Midwest) (2,100; 2,043; 700; 65-85) 
—“Threshold of Space” (20th) and 
“Toughest Man Alive” (AA). Hearty 
$13,000. Last week, with Granada 
coupled in. “Man Who Never 
Was” (20th) and “Please Murder 
Me” (DCA), $10,000. 

Granada (Fox Midwest) (1,217; 
75-$l-$L25) — “Carousel” (20th). 
Fat $6,000. Last week, with other 
Fox-Midwest houses. 

Vogue (Golden) (550; 75-$l)— 
"Doctor at Sea” (Rep) (2d wk). 
Holding nicely at $1,800. - Con¬ 
tinues. Last week, $2,400. 


‘Alex’ Hot $40,000, D.C. ‘Anything’ Big 
18G, ‘Flannel’ Wham 33G, ‘South’ 12G 


Key City Grosses 


Estimated Total Gross 

This Week .$2,998,200 

(Based on 21 cities and 206 
theatres, chiefly first runs, in¬ 
cluding N. Y.) 

Total Gross Same Week 

Last Year .$2,455,700 

(Based on 24 cities and 216 
theatres.) 


Alex’Whopping 
30G, St. Loo Ace 

St. Louis, April 3. 

Spearheaded by sock bally, 
which included double-page ads in 
two local dailies (unprecedented 
here) and helped by the end of 
Lent, “Alexander the Great” is 
grabbing terrific biz currently at 
Loew’s. “Court Jester” wound up 
a solid stanza at the Fox. “Rose 
Tattoo” still is stout in second 
frame at the St. Louis. “Picnic” 
also shapes nice in third week at 
the Missouri: 

Estimates for This Week 

Ambassador (Indie) (1,400; 

| $1.20-$2.40) — “Cinerama Holiday” 
(Indie) (59th wk). Neat $10,000. 

, Last week, $11,200. 

Fox (F&M) (5,000; 51-75)—“Mir- 
! acle In Rain” (WB) and “River 
Changes” (WB). Opened today 
(Tues.). Last week, “Court Jester” 
(Par) and “Battle Stations” (Col), 
solid $15,000. 

Loew’s (Loew) (3,172; 50-90)— 
“Alexander The Great” (UA). 
Sockeroo $30,000. Last week, 
“Meet Me Las Vegas” (M-G) (2d 
wk), $12,000. 

Missouri (F&M) (3,500; 50-75)— 
“Picnic” (Col) (3d wk). Nice $6,- 
500 after $7,500 in second. 

Orpheum (Loew) (1,400; 50-85) 
—“Marty” (UA) and “Summer¬ 
time” (UA) (2d runs) (2d wk). 
Good $7,500 following $11,000 
opening session. 

Pageant’ (St. L. mus.) (1,000; “50- 
90)—“Doctor At Sea” (Rep) (3d 
wk). Good $2,500 after $3,000 in 
second. 

Richmond (St. L. Amus.) (400; 
$1.10)—“Man Who Loved Red¬ 
heads” (UA). • Big $3,500. Last 
week, “Trouble With Harry” (Par) 
(3d wk), $2,500. 

St. Louis (St. L. Amus.) (4,000; 
51-90)—“Rose Tattoo” (Par) (2d 
wk). Stout $11,500 following $18,- 
000 teeoff frame. 

Shady Oak (St. L. Amus.) (800; 
$1.10) — “Samurai” (Indie). Big 
$3,500. Last week, “Man Who 
Loved Redheads” (UA), same. 

‘Alexander’ Record 28G, 
Frisco; ‘Vegas’ Hep 16G, 
‘Sea’Big 8G,‘Space’13G 

San Francisco, April 3. 

Easter vacation is providing a 
solid b.o. week all around current¬ 
ly. Big matinee trade is boosting 
“Oklahoma” to biggest week of its 
run although pic is in sixth rouiyl 
at Coronet. Outstanding news, 
however, is the record being reg¬ 
istered by "Alexander the Great” 
in its first stanza at United Artists. 
“Meet Me in Las Vegas” looms 
good at Warfield while “Creature 
That Walks Among Us” is fairly 
good at Golden Gate. “Doctor At 
Sea” looms socko in two arty 
houses. 

Estimates for This Week 

Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; 80- 
$1)—“Creature Walks Among Us” 
(U) and “Price of Fear” (U). Good 
$11,000. Last week, “Song of 
South” (BV) and “Lord of Jungle” 
(Indie), $12,000. 

Fox (FWC) (4,651; $1.25-$1.50)— 
“On Threshold of Space” (20th) and 
“Last of Desperados” (Indie). Fair 
$13,000. Last week, “Carousel” 
(20th) (5th wk), $8,500 in 4 days. 

Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 65-90)— 
“Meet Me In Las Vegas” (M-G). 
Good $16,000. Last week, “Last 
Hunt” (M-G) (2d wk), $8,500. 

Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$l)— 
“Rose Tattoo” (Par) (5th wk). Big 
$10,000. Last week, $15,000. 

St. Francis (Par) (1,400; $1-$1.25) 
—“Picnic” (Col) (3d wk). Great 
$15,000. Last week, $20,000. 

Orpheum (Cinerama Theatre 
Calif.) (1,458;. $1.75-$2.65)—“Cine¬ 
rama Holiday” (Indie) (35th wk). 
Great $21,000. Last week, $16,000. 

United Artists (No. Coast) (1,207; 
70-$l)—“Alexander the Great” 
(UA). New record at $28,000. Last 
(Continued on page 16) 


Washington, April 3. 

Simultaneous influx of tourists 
and sock product are creating a 
b.o. bonanza along main stem 
“Alexander the Great’ is pacing 
town with torrid take at Capitol 
“Man in Gray Flannel Suit,” with 
critical raves helping, looks ter¬ 
rific at Palace. 

“Anything Goes” looms solid in 
two Stanley Warner houses. Also 
sock is “Forbidden Planet” at Co¬ 
lumbia. “Song of South” is smash 
at RKO Keith’s. “Cinerama Holi¬ 
day,” aided by six extra shows 
'looks wow at Warner in 25th week. 

Estimates for This Week 

Ambassador tSW) (1,490; 75-$l) 
—“Anything Goes” (Par). Nice 
$6,000. Last week, “Mister Rob¬ 
erts” (WB) and “Rebel Without 
Cause’ (WB) (2d runs), $4,500. 

Capitol (Loew) (3,434; 85-$1.25) 
—"Alexander Great” (UA). Torrid 
$40,000. Last week, “Man Who 
Never. Was” (20th), $19,000 in 9 
days. 

Columbia (Loew) (1,174; 70-95)— 
“Forbidden Planet” (M-G). Sock 
$15,000, and stays. Last week, 
"Slightly Scarlet” (RKO), $5,000. 

Dupont (Lopert) (372; 75-$1.10) 
—"Too Bad Shes Bad” (Indie) (2d 
wk). So-so $3,000 after $4,500 
opener. Holds. 

Keith’s (RKO) (1,939; 75-$l)— 
“Song of South” (BV) (reissue). 
Smash $12,000, with moppets lin¬ 
ing up for this one at 50e tab. 
Stays on. Laist week, “Conqueror” 
(RKO) (4th wk), $8,000. 

Metropolitan (SW) (1,200; 75- 
$1.25)—“Anything Goes” (Par). Big 
$12,000. Last week, “Mister Rob¬ 
erts” (WB) and “Rebel Without 
Cause” (WB) (2d runs), $7,800. 

Palace (Loew) (2,360; 85-S1.25)— » 
“Man in Gray Flannel Suit’’ (20th). 
Terrific $33,000, with crix raves 
helping. Holding. Last week, “I’ll 
Cry . Tomorrow’ (M-G) . (5th wk), 
$14,000 in 9 days. 

Playhouse (Lopert) (456; $1- 

$1.80)—“Richard III” (Indie) (3d 
wk). Brisk $9,000 after $10,000 last 
week. Stays. 

Warner (SW) (1,300; $1.20-$2.40) 
—"Cinerama Holiday” * (Indie) 
(25th wk). A natural for tourists, 
looks wham $30,000, with 6 extra 
shows for special bookings. Last 
week, $18,000. Stays. 

Trans-Lux (T-L) (600; 90-$1.25) 
—“Picnic” (Col) (7th wk). Great 
$14,000 after $13,000 in sixth week. 
Continues. 


‘Flannel’ Fancy $25,000, 
Del; ‘Hunt’ Hotsy 19G, 
‘Anything’ Lusty 14G, 2d 

Detroit, April 3. 
Biz is soaring in Easter Week at 
the downtowners. “Man in Gray 
Flannel Suit” looks trim at the 


Fox. “Last Hunt” is turning up 
gold at the Palms. “Picnic” is in 
a fourth week resurgence at the 
Madison. “Oklahoma” in seventh 
week at the United Artists, “I’ll 
Cry Tomorrow” in fourth Adams 
week and “Cinerama Holiday” in 
60th round at the Music Hall, gain 
renewed strength also. “Killer Is 
Loose” is fair at the Broadway- 
Capitol. 

Estimates for This Week 


Fox (Fox-Detroit) (5,000; $1- 

$1.25)—“Man in 'Gray Flannel” 
(20th) and “Glory” (RKO). Nice 
$25,000. Last week, “Threshold of 
Space” (20th) and “Indestructible 
Man” (AA), $15,000. 

Michigan (United Detroit) (4,000; 
$1-$1.25)—“Anything Goes” (Par) 
and “Our Miss Brooks” (WB) <2d 
wlc-5 days). Good $14,000. Last 
week, $20,000. 

Palms (UD) (2,961; $1-$1.25)— 
“Last Hunt” (M-G) and “Steel Jun¬ 
gle” (WB). Fine $19,000. Last 
week, “Conqueror” (RKO) and 
“Sudden Danger” (AA) (3d wk), 
$16,000. 

Madison (UD) (1,900; $1-$1.25)— 
“Picnic” (Col) (4th wk). Strong 
$19,000. Last week, $15,000. 

Broadway-Capitol (UD) (3,500; 
$1-$1.25)—“Killer Is Loose” (UA) 
and “Timetable” ’(UA). Fair $14.- 
000. Last week, “Creature Walks 
Among Us” (U) and “Price of 
Fear” (U), $18,000. 

United Artists (UA) ( 1 , 667 ;'$1.25- 
$2.75)—“Oklahoma” (Magna) <7th 
wk). Smash $27,000. Last week, 
$17,500. 

Adams (Balaban) (1,700; $1- 

$1.25)—“I’ll Cry Tomorrow’’.. (M-G) 
(4th wk). Big $22,500. Last week, 
$17,700. 


Music Hall (Cinerama Produc¬ 
tions) (1,194; $ 1 . 40 -$ 2 . 65 )—‘‘Cine¬ 
rama Holiday" (Indie) (60th wk). 
Sockeroo $22,000. Last week, 
$J3,000. 







Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


P^RIETY 


PICTOIE GROSSES 


B’WAY’S EASTER TO $861,500 


Chi Shy of New Entries; ‘Creature 
Sock $14,000, ‘Tomorrow’ Tall 10G, 
‘Conqueror Fat 21G, ‘Darling’ 19G 


Chicago, April 3. 

Chi firstrun biz is spotty this 
round, with some situations helped 
bv a big Loop turnout Easter Sun¬ 
day though many houses are hold¬ 
ing their new entries for later in 
the week. 

“Creature Walks Among Us” 


‘ANYTHING' HUGE 12G, 
L’VILLE; ‘PLANET’ 8G 


Louisville, April 3. 
New entry, ‘Anything Goes” at 

ice °. r Kentucky, and return of “Song 

$14,000 opening week at Grand. r’.. & 

■•There’s Always Tomorrow” looks! South” at the Rialto, are liven- 


great $10,000 at the Mqproe. 

“Forever Darling” is okay in 
second round at Woods while 
“Court Jester” looks good in sec¬ 
ond stanza at the Chicago. “World 
in My Corner” and “Red Sun¬ 
down” is holding nicely in second 
Roosevelt session. “Song of. 
South” stays big in same week at 
Loop. “The Conqueror” continues 
stout in sixth round at Oriental. 
“Rose Tattoo” is good in sixth 
United Artists frame. 

“Picnic” is strong in seventh 
week at State-Lake. “Oklahoma?’ 
holds well in 14th stanza at the 
McVickers. “Diabolique” contin¬ 
ues to surprise in 15th round at 
the Ziegfeld, “Cinerama Holiday” 
is still sturdy in 42d week at 
Palace. 

Estimates for This Week 

Chicago (B&K) (3,900; 98-$1.25) 
—“Court J-ester” (Par) (2d wk). 
Good $27,000. Last week, $20,000. 

Grand (Nomikos) (1,200; 98-$l) 
—“Creature Walks Among Us” 
(U> and “Price of Fear” (U). Hotsy 
$14,000. Last week, “Battle Sta¬ 
tions” (Col) and “Joe Macbeth” 
(Col) (2d wk), $6,000. 

Loop (Telem’t) (606; 90-$1.25)— 
“Song of South” BV) (reissue) (2d 
wk). Sturdy $12,500.^ Last week, 
$16,000. 

McVickers (JL&S) (1,580; $1.25- 
$3) — “Oklahoma” (Magna) (14th 
wk). Lo’fty $31,000. Last week, 
$29,000. 

Monroe (Indie) '(1,000; 67-87)— 
“There’s Always Tomorrow” (U). 
Smash $10,000. Last week, “Ran¬ 
som” (M-G) (2d wk), $4,000. 

Oriental (Indie) (3,400; 98-$1.25) 
—“Conqueror” (RKO) (6th wk). 
Fast $21,000. Last week, $17,000. 

Palacfe (Eitel) (1,484; $1.25- 

$3.40) — “Cinerama Holiday” (In¬ 
die) (42d wk). Staunch $25,200. 
Last week, $25,600. 

Roosevelt (B&K) (1.400; 65-98) 
—“World in Corner” (U) and 
“Red Sundown” (U) (2d wk). Hefty 
$15,000. Last week, $18,000. 

State Lake (B&K) (2,400; 65-98) 
—“Picnic” (Col) (7th wk). Big 
$17,500. Last week, $19,000. 

United Artists* (B&K) (1,700; OS- 
OS)—“Rose Tattoo” (Par) (6th wk). 
Good $16,500. Last week, $18,000. 

Woods (Essaness) (1,206; 98- 

$1.25) — “Forever Darling” (M-G) 
2d wk). Okay $19,000. Last week, 
$25,000. 

World (Indie) (430; 98)—“Pris¬ 
oner” (Col) 4th wk). So-so $3,200. 
Last week, $3,400. 

Ziegfeld (Davis) (430; 98)— 

“Diabolique” (UMPO) (15th wk). 
Stout $5,200. . Last week, $5,400. 


‘Alexander’ Torrid 22G 
In Balto; ‘Anything’ 10G, 
‘Okla.’ Terrif $18,000 

Baltimore, April 3. 

End of Lent is bringing better 
grosses here this week. “Alexan¬ 
der The Great” is way out front 
with a torrid take at the New. 

Anything Goes” is okay at the 
Stanley. “The Conqueror” looms 
fiice at the Mayfair. “Oklahoma” 
is soaring to a great take in fifth 
'veek at Film Centre. 

Estimates for This Week 

Century (Fruchtman) (3,000; 50- 
$1.25)—“Carousel” (20th) (4th wkb 
third ^ 8,50 ° following $10,000 in 

Cinema (Schwabe) (460; 50-$l) 
r: Animal Farm” (Indie) (3d wk). 
Modest $2,000 after $2,500 in 
second. 

Ccn * r e (Rappaport) (890; 
$1.25-$2.50)—“Oklahoma” (Magna) 
nnn h *" k) * Great $18,000 after $20,- 
000 for fourth. 

C n 1 H p ? odrorae (Rappaport) (2,100; 

50-S1.25)—“Song of South” (BV) 
(reissue). Starts tomorrow (Wed.) 
after sixth week of “Picnic” (Col) 
hit big $8,000. 

Little (Rappaport) (300; 50-$l) 
(Continued on jpage 16) 


ing up downtown boxoffice. Pleas¬ 
ant weekend weather made cheer¬ 
ful session. “Anything Goes” is 
smash at the Kentucky. “Song” 
looks sock at Rialto. “Forbidden 
Planet” at State shapes okay. 
“Miracle In Rain” brisk at Mary 
Anderson. 

Estimates for This Week 

Brown (Fourth Ave.) (United 
Artists) (1.000; 55-85)—“Marty” 

(UA) and “Summertime” (UA) (2d 
wk). Oke $4,000 after first week’s 
$ 6 , 000 . . 

Kentucky (Switow) (1,100; 55-85) 
—"Anything Goes” (Par). Smash 
$12,000. Last week, “Rose Tattoo” 
(Par) (2d wk), $6,500. 

Mary Anderson (People’s) (1,000; 
55-85)—“Miracle In Rain” (WB). 
Fine $7,500. Last week, “Mister 
Roberts” (WB) and “Rebel Without 
Cause” (WB) (2d runs), $9,000 in 
9 days. 

Rialto (Fourth Avenue) (3,000; 
55-85)—“Song Of South” (BV) (re¬ 
issue). Sock $16,000. Last week, 
“Invasion Body Snatchers” (AA) 
and “Indestructible Man” (AA), 
$13,000. 

State (United Artists) (3,000; 55- 
85)—“Forbidden Planet” (M-G) and 
“Fury Gunsight” (Col). Nice $8.0C0. 
Last, week, “I’ll Cry Tomorrow’’ 
(M-G) (2d wk>, $9,000. 


Serenade’Sweet 

mm, PhiHy 

Philadelphia, - April 3. 

Easter week is boosting cinema 
receipts here this stanza despite a 
plethora of holdovers. “Cinerama 
Holiday,” “Carousel,” “Picnic,” 
“Golden Arm” and “Rose Tat¬ 
too” profited from the holiday 
weekend. “Serenade” is rated 
boffo at the Goldman with excel¬ 
lent bally helping. “Harder They 
Fall” shapes sturdy at Stanley. 
“Miracle in Rain” is very light at 
the Mastbaum. “Anything Goes” 
looks socko in second Midtown 
week. 

Estimates for This Week 

Arcadia (S&S) (526; 99-$1.80)— 
“Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) (10th wk). 
Good $8,000. Last week, $8,500. 

Boyd (SW) (1,430; $1.25-$2.60)— 
“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) (59th 
wk). Fine $13,000. Last week, 
$ 10 , 000 . 

Fox (20th) (2,250; 99-$1.80^— 

“Carousel” (20th) (4th wk). Nice 
$23,000. ast week, $22,000. 

Goldman (Goldman) (1,250; 65- 
$1.35)—"Serenade” (WB). Boff 
$24,000. Last week, “Creature 
Walks Among Us” (U), $11,000. 

Mastbaum (SW) (4,370; 99-$1.49) 
—“Miracle in Rain” (WB). Drab 
$14,000 or near. Last week, “Con¬ 
queror” (RKO) (5th wk), $8,000. 

Midtown (Goldman) (1,000; 75- 
$1.49)—“Anything Goes” (Par) (2d 
wk). Sock $14,000. Last week, 
$18,000. 

Randolph (Goldman) (2,250; 99- 
$1.80)—“Picnic” (Col) (6th wk). 
Solid $18,000'. Last week, $17,000. 

Stanton (SW) (1,483; 99-$1.49)— 
“Golden Arm” (UA) (11th wk). 
Brisk $9,500. Last week, $8,500. 

Stanley (SW) (2,900; 99-$1.49)— 
“Harder They Fall” (Col). Sturdy 
$25,000. Last week, “Mister Rob¬ 
erts” (WB) and “Rebel Without 
Cause” (WB) (2d runs), $10,000. 

’ Traiis-Liix (T-L) (500; 99-$1.80) 
—“Rose Tattoo” (Par) (10th wk). 
Great $11,500. Last week, $11,000. 

Viking (Sley) (1,000; 75-$1.49)— 
“Threshold of Space” (20th) (2d 
wk). NSH $7,500. Last week, 
$ 10 , 000 .. 

Trans-Lux World (T-L) (604; 98- 
$1.50)—“Prisoner” (Col) (4th wk).. 
Poor $2,000* Last week, $3,000. 


m: 1YNE 


Broadway film business is soar¬ 
ing in the current session, with 
bright, mild weather, bringing out 
thousands on Easter Sunday. Six 
new bills are giving the entire 
Street a nice lift, but several hold¬ 
overs are doing equally well. The 
24 first-run theatres should hit 
$857,000 or better as compared 
with $637,700 for 19 houses a year 
ago and $763,400 for Easter week 
of 1954. 

Extensive newspaper and radio 
advertising plus excellent bally 
got “Alexander the Great” at the 
Capitol and “The Conqueror” at 
the Criterion off to rousing starts. 
“Conqueror” is heading for a new 
house record with a wow $78,000 
or close likely opening week end¬ 
ing tomorrow (Thurs.). “Alexan¬ 
der” probably will get a mighty 
$90,000 or thereabouts in initial 
session. 

“On Threshold of Space” is giv¬ 
ing the Globe one, of its biggest 
weeks in some time, with a great 
$ 17,000 possible in opening round. 
"Tribute To Bad Man” with vaude¬ 
ville is heading for a sockeroo 
$27,000 at the Palace. 

“Miracle in Rain,” also new, 
looms good $25,000 at the State. 
“Patterns” did only a mild $13,500 
on initial session at the Mayfair, 
witli fact that it was seen previ¬ 
ously as a teleplay apparently 
hurting. 

Money champ, of course, is 
“Serenade” (with Easter stage- 
show) which looks to soar to a 
tremendous $195,000 at the Music 
Hall, this being the second week 
of this show. It is close to the all- 
time high of $200,000 registered 
last year by “Glass Slipper,” 
which also played with the Easter 
stageshow during Easter week. 

“Carousel” (with iceshow on¬ 
stage) is roai’ing ahead to a terrific 
$96,000 in the current (7th) week 
at the Roxy. This is nearly double 
the previous round’s gross. “Meet 
Me in Las Vegas” is climbing to a 
great $29,000 in third frame at the 
Astor. “Return of Don Camilio” 
hit a good $6,200 opening week at 
the Baronet. 

“Anything Goes” is edging up 
to a solid $42,000 in second Para¬ 
mount Theatre stanza. “Golden 
Arm” pushed to fancy $15,500 in 
final four days (16th week) at the 
Victoria. “House of Ricardo” held 
with great $8,000 in third session' 
at the arty Plaza. 

“Oklahoma,” aided by six extra 
shows, is soaring to a, smash $35,- 
500 in current (25th) round at the 
Rivoli. “Cinerama Holiday” also 
roared ahead to a wham $49,800 
for 60th week at the Warner. “7 
Wonders of World” Opens April 
10 , the final (61st) stanza carry¬ 
ing through an extra day. 

Estimates for This Week 

Astor (City Inv.) (1,300; 75-$2)— 
“Meet Me in Las Vegas” (M-G) 
(4th wk). Third stanza ended last 
night (Tues.) climbed to gre@t 
$29,000 after $26,000 in second 
week. Continues. 

Little Carnegie (L. Carnegie) 
(550; $1.25-$1.80) — “Don Juan” 
(Times) (5th wk). Fourth round 
ended Sunday (1) was okay $4,000. 
Third was $5,000. “Naked Night” 
(Times) opens April 9. 

Baronet (Reade) (430; $1.25- 

$1.50) — “Return Don Camilio” 
(IFE) (2d wk). First stanza ended 
Sunday (1) was good $6,200. Stays. 

Capitol (Loew) (4,820; $l-$2.50) 
—“Alexander the Great” (UA). 
First week ending today (Wed.) 
looks like mighty $90,000. Holds, 
natch! In ahead, “Goodman Story” 
(U) (5th wk), $12,000. 

Criterion (Moss) (1.700; 75- 

$2.20) — “The Conqueror” (RKO). 
Heading for record $78,000 or near 
in first 'stanza ending tomorrow 
(Thurs.) for John Wayne starrer. 
Naturally holding. In ahead, 
(Continued on page 16) 


L. A. Climbs; ‘Las Vegas’ Nifty 21G, 
‘Alexander Big $24000, ‘Planet’ Hot 
72G, 11 Spots; ‘Anything’ Fair 24G 


Estimates Are Net 

Film gross estimates as re¬ 
ported herewith from the vari¬ 
ous key cities, are net; i.e., 
without usual tax. Distrib¬ 
utors share on net take, when 
playing percentage, hence the 
estimated figures are net in¬ 
come. 

The parenthetic admission 
prices, however, as indicated, 
include the U. S. amusement 
tax. 


‘SNATCHERS’LUSH 9G, 
PROV.; ‘CRY’ $11,000,2D 

Providence, April 3. 
With pj^-Easter week behind 
them, all main stemmers are doing 
very creditably this round. The 
two holdovers, State’s “I’ll Cry 
Tomorrow’” and Majestic’s “Car¬ 
ousel” are tops. Strand is smooth 
with “Body Snatchers.” RKO 
Albee is passable with “World In 
My Corner.” 

Estimates for This Week 
Albee (RKO) (2,200; 50-85) — 

' World In Corner 1 ’ (U) and “Red 
Sundown” (Indie). Fairly good 
$7,000. Last week, “Mister Rob¬ 
erts” (WB) and “Rebel Without 
Cause” (WB) (2d runs), $7,800. 

Majestic (Fay) (2,200; 75-$l) — 
“Carousel” (20th) (2d wk). Big 
$9,000. First week, $11,000. 

State (Loew) (3,200; 75-$l) — 
“I'll Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) (2d 
wk). Happy $11,000. Overcame 
stormy weekend to hit $20,000 in 
first session. 

Strand (Silverman) (2,200; 65-80) 

■ “Body Snatchers” (AA) and 
“Indestructible Man” (AA). Hep 
$9,000. Last week, “Court Jester” 
(Par) (2d wk), $4,500. 


‘Conqueror’Bolf 
$50,000 Tops Hub 

Boston, April 3. 

Film biz took a brisk upturn this 
frame after bearing the brunt of 
several snowstorms and pre-Easter 
doldrums. Big winner is “Con¬ 
queror” at the Memorial with a 
mighty $50,000. “Harder They 
Fall” is in for a smart $34,000 at 
State and Orpheum. “Man in 
Gray Flannel Suit” looms lush at 
the Metropolitan while “Anything 
Goes" looks good at Paramount 
and Fenway. “I” Cry Tomorrow” 
leads the holdovers in fourth 
round at Astor. 

Estimates for This Week 

Astor (B&Q) (1,500; $1-$1.80)— 
I’ll Cry Tomorrow'” (M-G) (4th 
wk). Happy $17,000. Last w'eek, 
ditto. 

Beacon (Beacon Hill) (678; 90- 
$1.25) — “Diabolique-” (UMPO) 
(7th wk). Hotsy $6,000. Last week, 
$7,000. 

Cinerama (Cinerama Produc¬ 
tions) (1,354; $1.20-$2.65)—“Cine¬ 
rama Holiday” (Indie) (32d wk). 
Fancy $2O,O0O. Last week, $10,850. 

Exeter (Indie) (1,300; 60-$l)— 
“Doctor at Sea” (Rep) (4th wk). 
Neat $6,000. Last week, $7,000. 

Fenway (NET) (1,373; 60-$l)— 
“Anything Goes” (Par) and 
“World in Corner” (U>. Sturdy 
$7,500. Last w'eek, “Invasion Body 
Snatchers” (A) and “Indestructi¬ 
ble Man” (AA), $5,200. 

Kenmore (Indie) (700; 85-$1.25) 
—“Night Number Came Up” 
(Cont) (4th wk). Oke $3,800. Last 
week, $4,000. 

Memorial (RKO) (3,000; 75- 

$1.25) — “Conqueror” (RKO). 
Mighty $50,000. Last week, “Car¬ 
ousel” (6th wk-4 days), $7,500. 

Metropolitan (NET) (4,357; 60- 
$1)—“Man in Gray Flannel Suit” 
(20th). Nice $20,000, returns house 
to firstruns. 

Pilgrim (ATC) (2,100; 65-95)— 
“Killer is Loose” (UA) and “Good 
Die Young” (Indie). Good $11,- 
000 , and returns house to firstruns. 

Paramount (NET) (1,700; 60-$l> 
—“Anything Goes” (Par) and 
“World in Corner” (U). Neat $13,- 
000. Last week, “Invasion of Body 
Snatchers” (AA) and “Indestruc¬ 
tible Man” (AA), $16,000. 

Orpheum (Loew) (3,000; 60-$l) 
—“Harder, They Fall” (Col) and 
“Blackjack Ketchum” (Indie). 
Nice $20,000. Last week. “Forever 
Darling” (M-G) and “Fury at Gun- 
sight Pass” (Col), $13,000. 

State (Loew) (3,000; 60-$ D— 

“Harder They Fall” (Col) and 
“Blackjack Ketchum” (Indie). 
Hefty $14,000. Last week. “For¬ 
ever .Darling” (M-G) and “Fury at 
Gunsight Pass” (Col), $6,000* 


Los Angeles, April 3. 
Easier holiday gave bounce to 
local firstrun biz, some spots hit¬ 
ting substantial trade. Nifty $21,- 
000 or over looms for initial week 
of “Meet Me in Las Vegas” at 
Downtown Paramount w h i 1 e 
"Alexander the Great” is heading 
for heartv $24,000 or close at near¬ 
by Fox Wilshire. 

“Forbidden Planet” looks hefty 
$25,000 in two sites plus $47,000 
in two nabes and seven ozoners. 
Medium $24,000 is seen for “Any¬ 
thing Goes” in two sites. “Co¬ 
manche” is getting a fair $20,000 
in four houses while “Miracle in 
Rain” looks thin $18,000 or near 
in four locations. “Pa’terns” is 
mild $5,000 at firstrun Fine Arts. 

The 20th frame of “Cinerama 
Holiday” spurted to socko $40,800 
w'ith added shows helping. “Okla¬ 
homa” is rated smooth $37,500 at 
Egyptian and United Artis’s. 

Estimates for This Week 
Fox Wilshire (FWC) (2,296; $1- 
$1.80.) — “Alexander the Great” 
iUA). Big $23,000 or near. Last 
week. “Ladykillers” (Cont.) (4th 
wk), $7,400. 

Downtown Paramount (ABPT) 
(3,300; $1-$1.50)—“Meet Me in Las 
Vegas” (M-G). Nifty $21,000. Last 
week, with Hawaii, Wiltern, “Mis¬ 
ter Roberts” (WB) and “Rebel 
Without Cause” (WB), $14,000. 

Fine Arts (FWC) (631; $1-$1.50) 
—“Patterns’' (UA). Mild $5,000. 
Last week, “Trouble With Harry” 
(Par) (7th wk-9 days), $4,200. 

. . Orpheum, Pantages (Metropoli- 
tan-RKO) (2,213; 2,812; 90-$1.50)— 
“Anything Goes” (Par). Medium 
$24,000. Last week, in other units. 

Los Angeles, Hollywood, Up¬ 
town, Loyola (FWC) (2.097; 756; 
1,715; 1,248; 90-$1.50) — “Co¬ 

manche” (UA) and “High Society” 
(Continued on page 16) 

‘Flannel’ Stout $19,000, 
Pitt; ‘Carousel’ Sturdy 
14G 2d, ‘Anything’ 14G 

Pittsburgh, April 3. 
“Man in Gray Flannel Suit” at 
Harris is leading . local Easter 
Parade for' a big total in first 
round. Penn isn’t doing too well 
with “Anything Goes,” but it is 
still passable. Both “Carousel” at 
Fulton and “Rose Tattoo” holding 
up nicely and Guild has latched on 
to a winner in “Night My Number 
Came Up.” Combination of holiday 
and approaching end of run boom¬ 
ing “Cinerama Holiday” at Warner. 

Estimates for This Week 
Fulton (Shea) (1,700; 85-$1.25)— 
Carousel” (20th) (2d wk). Getting 
a lot of extra breaks. Should get 
closee big $14,000, and naturally 
stays on. Last week, $15,000. 

Guild -(Green) (500; 65-$l) — 
‘Night Number Came Up” (Indie). 
Sturdy $3,000. Last week, “Final 
Test” (Indie) (2d wk), $1,100. 

Harris (Harris) (2,165; 85-$1.25) 
— “Man In Gray Flannel Suit” 
(20th). Length of picture mitigates 
against great turnover so that it 
is being held down to fancy $19,000 
or near. Last week, “Picnic” (Col) 
(5th wk-9 days), $10,200. And 
nearly $70,000 on run. 

Nixon (Rubin) (1,700; 90-$1.50)— 
‘Guys and Dolls” (M-G) (10th wkV 
Showing definite pickup on final 
stanza, house returning to legit 
next. Good $6,500 after $3,500 
last week. 

Penn (UA) (3,300; 85-$1.25) — 
“Anything Goes” (Par). Bing 
Crosby starrer apparently is hard 
to sell but looks okay $14,000, and 
then comes out. Last week, “Killer 
Is Loose” (UA), $8,000. * 

Squirrel Hill (SW) (900; 65-$l)— 
The Prisoner” (Col) (3d wk). Nice 
$2,500, about same as last week. 

Stanley (SW) (3,800; 85-$1.25 — 
“Rose Tattoo” (Par) (3d wk). 
Phenomenal Holy Week business 
after Academy Awards gave this 
a last-minute reprieve, delaying 
preem of “Song of South” (BV) 
(reissue). Fine $15,500 for cur¬ 
rent round. Last week, $17,500. 
Warner iSW) (1,365; $1.25-$2.40) 
Cinerama Holiday” (Indie (60th 
wk). Holiday and “last two weeks” 
notice are turning the trick. Should 
soar to big $14,000. Last week, 
$11,500. 



ZfcRIETY 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 



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Announcing our candidate 
for next year’s Awards! 

A VERY SPECIAL TWO-REEL SUBJECT 

tand of the Sible 

COLOR by DE LUXE ^ 

CINemaScoP^ 


Produced by 

EDMUND REEK 


Directed by 

JACK MUTH 


Play it now while the Holy Land is 
today’s hot spot of the world! 




10 GREAT NEW BUSINESS- 
GETTING SHORTS FROM 20tli! 

COLOR by DE LUXE - 

CINemaScoPe, 

* V s ".; s '$*$ .s wy 3 V; 3" -3 :* t .»' < V.. vT-'-,v ? 

I..J U,J<- "V -Uv- v s' s4 ; -^ofYi 

LADY OF THE GOLDEN DOOR 

(Filmed in co-operation with . 

American Museum of Immigration) 

The story of the Statue of Liberty, 
symbol of our land of opportunity ! 

CLUB THE BRIDGE 

See the daring underwater 
maneuvers of the submarine fleet! 

DESERT FANTASY 

A fascinating trip to the mystic land 
of the Arabian nights! 

THAT OTHERS MAY LIVE 

Watch the daredevil drama of 
air-sea rescue I 

ADVENTURE IN CAPRI 

CoiorfuJ, romantic journey to the 
timeless Mediterranean isle ! 

COWBOYS OF THE MAREMMA 

Thrill to the adventures of a new 
' kind of cowboy! 

A THOROUGHBRED IS DORN 

Heartwarming story of a coifs 
life, from birth to victory! 

PIGSKIN PEEWEES 

Watch the sandlotters of today 
become the stars of tomorrow! 

HONEYMOON PARADISE 

Breathtaking tour of Niagara Falls! 

HUNTERS OF THE SEA 

The timely sport of skin-divers 
and spear-shooters! 


With CinemaScope Shorts l 




'VARIETY'S' LOKDOH OFFICI 
« St. M»rHn'» FIac«, Trafalgar Squart 


UStelETY 


INTERNATIONAL 


11 


Fear Old UFA Monopoly Shaping 
In W. Germany; Threat to U.S. fix 


Bonn, March 27. 

Tiie real news in the film in¬ 
dustry of Germany currently con¬ 
cerns the re-forming of. the old 
monopoly, which hit its 
heights under Hitler, controlling 
film production, distribution and 
theatre ownership. Question of 
how the new UFA will effect the 
US film distributors here is of 
nnme interest-to the trade. Despite 
the Allied ruling that the UFA 
chain was to be broken up, present- 
day Germany sees the monopoly 
once more growing up through a 
group of powerful money-rich in¬ 
terlocking corporations which are' 
buying it piece by piece. 

The Berlin UFA studio and the 
Dusseldorf theatre chain are now 
being offered for sale, with biggest 
bids coming from a group of major 
German banks. These institutions 
are all part of the banking group 
about to be reunited as the Deut¬ 
sche Bank. One member bank, 
Sueddeutsche Bank, is already 
among the major purchasers of the 
recently-sold UFA studios at Geisel- 
gasteig by Munich. At least one 
of the bank directors was active 
v ith the bank whichMcontrolled the 
pre-war UFA organization’s fi¬ 
nances. 

It is an interesting sidelight that 
the key men in the.banks entering 
this phase of the business are also 
very close to the West German 
government and to Adenauer in 


fhe 1 Geimian A par^iament^here\ndl * can P* out on release in Berlin’s 
throughout • the film industry 
echoes the thought that the govern¬ 


ment will have a hidden hand in 
the revitalized UFA. Felt here, 
too, that it was no accident the 
government stopped its federal 
financial aid to the German film 
producers last year, actually before 
the aid was supposed to expire. 
Film authorities feel it would haye 
been difficult to sell the UFA prop¬ 
erties to anyone who had to com¬ 
pete with government-aided pro¬ 
ducers. 

Small Producers Edged Out 

Government's opening of the 
film industry to competition, say 
competent observers, was designed 
to edge out the small producers, 
thus cutting competition, and mak¬ 
ing room for the new UFA prod¬ 
uct. The new consolidating process 
of the film industry has seen the 
members of the Distributors Asso¬ 
ciation drop from 107 members to 
PC in the last five years. This 
decrease is being further affected 
by the UFA reorganization. 

Among the German distributors, 
there are only about eight which 
control the bulk of the product in 
this market today — Gloria, 
Schorcht, Herzog, Union, Con¬ 
stantin, Deutsche London, Allianz, 
and Neue Film. Of this group, two 
or three are rather shaky financial¬ 
ly now and the list of strong Ger¬ 
man distributors is being further 
reduced since Schorcht is one of 
the prime buyers in the UFA 
studios at Geiselgasteig. Now 
reported that the bidders for the 
Berlin UFA will try ,to buy out 
Herzog to further reduce competi¬ 
tion. 

The' UFA chain of cinemas has 
grown to a current count of 50 
houses, 5 in outright ownership 
and 45 leased. The chain spreads 
out to all key cities of West 'Ger¬ 
many, and also, through cross- 
ownership, is active in the chain 
of 12 AKI newsreel theaters. 

MPEA in Germany is maintain¬ 
ing extremely cordial relations with 

UFA successor companies, since 
MPEA feels that if they can get 
their feet economically and oper¬ 
ate as sound production and distri- 
, V? 1 ? . se ^ u P s > they might have a 
stabilizing effect on the economy 
whole German film market. 
Ml EA feels the danger would be 
iar greater if national investments 
were to suffer through unhealthy 
fiiarket conditions, since , that 
n ^ght again spark powerful pres¬ 
sure groups to 1 slam the doors 
against healthy foreign competi¬ 
tion. 


13 Jap Pix to Commies 

Tokyp, March 27. ^ 
thirteen Japanese feature films 
JV tre exported to Red China during 
;*•£' of February, part of the 

° a 1 215 Japanese and re-ex- 

«?rio e ^l 0reign films which earned 
for the Japanese. 

Okinawa took most of the'output 
-r^ 2 Ptx. The U.S. got 22, most of 
them going to Hawaii. 


Metro Location Work * 

Starts on ‘Teahouse’ 

Tokyo, March 27. 

Location work for Metro’s “Tea¬ 
house of August Moon” gets/un¬ 
derway April 7 in historic, cultural 
Kyoto-Nara area of southwestern 
Japan. Producer Jack Cummings, 
director Daniel Mann and key 
technicians are now in Kyoto get¬ 
ting ready to go to work in the 
Okinawa village of . Tobiki which 
Daiei Studios has constructed on 
the Kyoto lot. 

Stars Marlon Brando, Glenn 
Ford and Louis Calhern arrive 
shortly while Daiei actress Machi- 
ko Kyo, who will play the femme 
lead, wilLjoin them in Kyoto. Only 
other Japanese name signed so far 
to appear *in the film version of 
John Patrick’s play is Mitsuko 
Sawamura, teenage, thrush who 
had a role in “Meet Me in Las 
Vegas,” also a Metro pic. 


Yank Films Pace 
Berlin 1st Runs 


Berlin, March 27. 
The end of March sees an un-> 
usually large number of top Amer- 


preem houses. Film theatre Ber¬ 
lin is showing “Desperate Hours” 
(Par) now past its third week. 
Filmbuehne Wien last week 
preemed “Man With Golden Arm” 
(UA). ' 

Delphi has “Rains of Ranchi- 
pul” (20th) and will bring in 
“Rebel Without a Cause” (WB) as 
its next pic. Capitol had Metro’s 
“Kiss Me, Kate” (in 3-D) for near¬ 
ly three weeks, and is now play¬ 
ing another Metro pic, “Jupiter's 
Darling.” The Studio is show¬ 
ing “Member of the Wedding” 
(Col) while Metropol is playing 
“Gambler From Natchez” (U). 

Seven out of 14 local firstruns 
are showing U. S. films as against 
four houses with German films. 
One cinema each is playing a Brit¬ 
ish, an Italian and a Gallic fea¬ 
ture. Most of new American films 
received top crix appraisal. That 
particularly applies to “Hours” and 
“Golden Arm.” “Wedding,” re¬ 
membered from 1954 Berlin Film 
Festival, drew outstanding reviews. 
“Rains” didn’t impress local 
scribes. 

New German films include 
“08/15 At Home” (Gloria/Divina), 
third of the successful German 
“08/15” series; ‘.‘San Salvatore” 
(Deutsche London), “Girl From 
Flanders” (Prisma), and finally 
“Titanic,” made in 1943 and ‘which 
has gone ' through several bans 
throughout the past years, both by 
German and Allied authorities. 


Cannes Fest Keeps Old 
Rules; Ignores Venice 

Paris, March 27. 

Favre Le Bret, director, of Can¬ 
nes Film Festival, which this year 
is April 23-May 10, told Variety 
that no matter what changes take 
place in the Venice Fest setup, 
Cannes will maintain its status 
quo. Le Bret discounted plans for 
any sort of compromise or division 
of countries and films with Venice. 
Of course, the fest would suggest 
’films, and try to discourage certain 
other pix as being disadvantageous 
to the festival. 

Unlike Venice, he also said that 
the number of prizes would be the 
same this year with the Golden 
Palm for the best film and five 
other prizes to be picked by the 
jury. These will probably be for 
acting, direction and special prizes 
to crown worthy outsiders. Main 
jury would have 11 members with 
one American, one Russian, one 
Chilean, one Italian, one English¬ 
man and the remainder French. 
Otto Preminger would be the 
American rep and Sergei Vassiliev 
.the' Russo member. Others have 
not been picked. 

Budget will be $125,000 this year 
and a big personality turnout is ex¬ 
pected. U.S. official entries are 
“Man Who Knew Too Much” (Par) 
and (‘I’ll Cry Tomorrow” (M-G), 
with two fest invites, “Man in the 
Gray Flannel Suit” (20th) and 
“Harder They Fall” (Gol). 


Bury Is Right 

Bury,' Eng., March 27. 

The only live theatre here, 
the Hippodrome, has shuttered 
mowing to drop in attendances. 
John Mather, the proprietor, 
says he wants to see it remain¬ 
ing as a theatre rather than 
become a furniture ^store or 
dan eery. 

He took over the Hippo¬ 
drome in 1936 when it was a 
cinema, later turning it into a 
vaudery and then a stock-com¬ 
pany theatre. _ 


Mex Pix Board 
Blasts Nudity 

Mexico City, March 27. 

Female nudity upon which cer¬ 
tain film producers depended on 
heavily recently and collected big 
at the boxoffice until the Mexican 
Region of Decency and the Nation¬ 
al Cinematographic Board went 
into action, has been dealt a body 
blow by the board. Congressman 
Jorge Ferretis, NCB chairman, 
warns producers that any showing, 
let alone featuring, of photos, draw¬ 
ings or other illustrations of femme 
stars naked or in suggestive poses 
in pix advertising and other public¬ 
ity/will draw a national ban on 
that production’s exhibition. Pa¬ 
trons are misled in many cases be¬ 
cause the publicity doesn’t match 
theatrical film nudity and sug- 
gpstiveness not being in the pro¬ 
duction, the board ruled. 

Producers in the shadow of this 
ban told the board that this stress¬ 
ing femme stars au naturel or in 
come-on postures is no doing of 
theirs since they claim they farm 
out advertising for their pix. Pro¬ 
ducers -advised the board to nip- 
wha.t they call the racket of steal¬ 
ing negatives of femmes wearing 
nothing or posturing indecently 
from the' labs. These thefts are 
from 35m pix, .the producers 
claimed. 

That charge prodded the techni¬ 
cal-manual workers locals of the 
Picture Production Workers Union 
(STPC), which are directly respon¬ 
sible for all pix and all about them 
in labs, to assert that they know 
nothing at all of any such alleged 
racket. 

Board announced “maximum 
censoring” of all pix to delete nud¬ 
ity and so-called dirty scenes. 


Paris Legit Continues 
Stout as Season Nears 
Close; ‘Pane’ Seen Hit 

Paris, April 3. 

There is still life in the legit 
lineup here two months before the 
annual vacation hiatus. Two new-' 
comers look to be around when 
the season winds up ' while one 
seems in for an early demise. 

Set to stay likely will be a first 
play by actor Louis Velle, “A La 
Monnaie De Pape,” at the Theatre 
Gramont, and a reprise of the 
Nineteenth Century Alexandre Du¬ 
mas melodrama, “La Tour De 
Nesle” at the Theatre Mathurins. 
Yves Jamiaque’s “Les Lingots De 
Have” at plushy little Theatres Des 
Arts looks like a flop. This also 
probably sounds the death knell 
of. this svelte theatre whfch has 
had a series of foldos since its in¬ 
ception. It may be reconverted to 
a cinema. 

“La Monnaie De Pape” is the 
name of a store which sells religi- 
oso objects. Into the bourgeois 
family operating it comes a writer 
whose expose of the upper classes 
has led to a bestseller. He is push¬ 
ed into spying on this family by 
his unscrupulous editor. 

However, the family finds out 
and invents a bunch of lies about 
dope peddling, murder, etc., to 
complicate things. All turns out 
well since the writer finds romance 
with the family ingenue and the 
family pitches in to write the book 
to cash in on it. 


Goldwyn in Tokyo for ‘Dolls' 
Tokyo, March 27. 

Samuel Goldwyn, producer of 
“Guys and Dolls” (M-G), arrived 
here March 31 for the first over¬ 
seas preem of this film at Yuraku- 
za Theatre April 6. 

One star of the pic, Marlon 
Brando, who will be in Japan for 
location work on Metro’s “Tea¬ 
house of August Moon,” will also 
appear at the gala preem. 


New Films Up West End; ‘Alexander’ 
Smash $14,000, ‘Bad Man’ Okay 12G; 
‘Never’ Great Wfi, ‘Jubal’ 7G, 2d 


‘Richard’ British Pic 
I Entry at Berlin Fest 

Berlin, March 27. 

Sir Laurence Olivier’s film, 
“Richard III,” will be one of the 
British entries at the Sixth Berlin 
Film Festival in June. 

Arthur Brauner’s CCC, a Berlin 
pic producing company, announced 
P will enter its just-completed film, 
“Before Sundown,” at the forth¬ 
coming film event. Walt Disney, 
always a participant in the annual 
Berlin fest, will also come-along 
with two entries. Deadline for 
festival entries, incidentally, has 
been set for May 15. 


Czech Folk Terp 
Shows in Paris 

Paris, March 27. 

After the Polish, Hungarian, 
Bulgarian and Russian folklore 
terp groups, Czechoslovakia now 
sends its national troupe for a j 
Parisian dating, with the company 
colled Le Sluk. This does not live 
up to the previous Eastern entries 
and remains the little brother. 
Though having a taking rustic air, 
the stage mounting and dancing do’ 
not adequately translate this to the 
more formalistic demands of the 
stage. It looks to have a moderate 
run, but not the triumph of the 
Russo Ballets Moisseiev, the virili¬ 
ty of the Hungarians or the ex¬ 
uberance of the Polish and Bul¬ 
garian groups. 

This was brought in as a cultural 
exchange item by the Spectacles 
Lumbroso. Young dancers have 
freshness and verve and the cos¬ 
tumes also make for eye appeal. 
Some dynamism is engendered 
with an all-male dance in which 
they hold long sticks with rattle 
attachments. They engage in rattle 
battles for some of the best terping 
of the evening. Choral groups dis¬ 
play fine-timbred voices and instru¬ 
mentals are also catching and 
sumptuous. 

As part of the cultural exchange 
between East and West this an in¬ 
teresting affair, but for sheer show 
business consideration it’s not out¬ 
standing enough to get_crowds not 
intrinsically interested . in folk 
manifestations. Little likely for the 
U.S. Mosk. 

Warwick in $17,000^000 
3-Year film Program 

London, April 3. 

A three-year production pro¬ 
gram, with an overall budget of 
around $17,000,000, was announced 
last week by Irving Allen and Al¬ 
bert R. (Cubby) Broccoli, executive 
producers of Warwick Film Pro¬ 
ductions, on their return from 
N. Y. New program gets under 
way shortly with the production 
of “Fire Down Below” with Robert 
Mitchum, Jack Lemmon and Tre¬ 
vor Howard starred. Pic will be 
filmed on location in Trinidad with 
interiors at Elstree studios. 

The Warwick toppers also re¬ 
vealed. they have closed a deal 
with Norman Wisdom to film one 
picture a year for the next five 
years. Initialler will be “An 
Englishman in Las Vegas” and the 
British comic is now in the gam¬ 
bling resort to absorb. Anita Ek- 
berg will probably be his co-star. 
They also indicated they are pag¬ 
ing Cary Grant to play Charles 
Rolls in their upcoming filmization 
of “The Rolls-Royce Story/’ 

Other pix in their lineup include 
“Death of Uncle George” with NW 
geb Patrick as star; “Interpol” by 
John Paxton; Victor Mature in 
“Long Ships”; “The Broad Arrow,” 
to be lensed in Australia; “African 
Bush Adventures” from a novel by 
J. A. Hunter and Dan Mannix; and 
Bernard Falk’s “The Naked Lady.” 
Entire program will be in C’Scope 
and Technicolor, will be given 
I world release via Columbia. 


London, March 27. 
Two new entries set a vigorous 
pace in the West End last week. 
“Alexander the Great.” after its 
world preem at the Odeon Leices¬ 
ter Square, is .shaping to smash 
$14,000 or near. “Man Who Never 
Was” looks sock $9,500 in second 
Carlton round. 

“Jubal” is sturdy $7,000 in rec- 
ond stanza at the Odeon, Marble 
Arch. “Tribute to Bad Man” is 
olcav $12,000 at Empire. 

“Cinerama Holiday” and “Rich¬ 
ard III” continue to lead holdover 
field. The former hit $17,500 in 
its seventh session at Casino while 
Shakespeare classic, in 15th West 
End week, finished its pre-release 
run with fine $7,000. 

Estimates for Last Week 

Carlton (20th) (1.128: 70-$1.70)— 
“Man Who Never Was” (20th) (2d 
wk). Heading for great $9,500 
after $12,600 opening stanza. 

Casino (Indie) (1.337: 70-$2.15)— 
“C ; nerama Holiday”’ (Robin) (7th 
wk). Still fancy at about $17,500 
this round. 

Empire (M-G) (3,099: 55-$1.70)— 
“C'nerama Holiday” (Robin) (7th 
wk). Still fancy at about $17,500 
this round. 

Empire (M-G) (3,099; 55-$1.70)— 
"Tribute to Bad Man” (M-G). Okay 
12.000 or bette;\ 

G-umont (CMA) (1.500; 50-$1.70) 
—“Richard III” (IFD) (2d wk). 
Solid $7,000. Same as previous 
round which followed 13 weeks at 
Leicester Square Theatre. ’’Femi¬ 
nine Touch” (Rank) follows March 
29. 

Leicester Square Theatre (CMA) 
(1.376; 50-$1.70) — “Black Tent” 
(Rank) (2d wk). Fair $5,000. First 
was $5,700. 

London Pavilion (UA) (1.217; 50- 
$1.70) — “Comanche” (UA) and 
“K’Her is Loose” (UA). Moderate 
$5,500 or near. 

Odeon, Leicester Square (CMA) 
(2 200; 50-$1.70)—“Alexander the 
Great” (UA). Anticipated great 
$14,000 or near. 

Odeon, Marble Arch (CMA) (2,- 
200; 50-$l.70)—“Jubal” (Col) (2d 
wk). Sturdy $7,000. Last week, 
$ 8 , 100 . 

Plaza (Par) (1,902; 70-$1.70) — 
“Extra Day” (BL) (2d wk) and 
“Private’s Progress” (BL). Current 
frame running ahead of opening 
week due to added support possi¬ 
bly from “Progress.” Okay $6,000 
looms about $2,000 better than 
opener for “Day.” “Vagabond 
King” (Par) preems April 15. 

Rialto (20th) (592; 50-$1.30) — 
“Beyond River” (20th) “(2d wk). 
Below expectations at moderate 
$2,200. Last week, $3,000. 

Ritz '(M-G) (432; 50-$1.30)—“Mo- 
gaimba” (M-G) (4th wk). Steady $2,- 
500. 

Studio One (APT) (600; 30-$1.20) 
—“African Lion” (BV) and “Blue 
Men of Morocco” (BV). Smash $5,- 
300: Holds indef. 

Warner (WB) (1,785: 50-$1.70)— 
“One Man Mutiny” (WB) (2d wk). 
Fair $5,500. Last week, $7,200. 
“Miracle in Rain” (WB) follows 
March 29. 


Star of Nip Action 
Pix Highest Paid In 
AH Janan Show Biz 

Tokyo, March 27. 

Kazuo Hasegawa, sword-slinging 
“Chambara” star of Daiei Studios, 
was the top earner in 1955 in the 
field of entertainment in Japan, 
according to figures released by the 
National Tax Board. The star of 
the action-costume-films made some 
30 films during the year and 
grossed a little over $60,000. 

Top-earning artist for the 10th 
consecutive year was novelist Eiji 
Ycshikawa, author of the book, 
“Miyamoto Musahsi” upon which 
the Toho film “Samurai,” now in 
release in the U.S., was based. 
Yoshikawa grossed $77,000. 

Jazz singer Chiemi Eri told tax 
authorities that she earned $27,000 
to take top place in her field. 

Legitimate actor Kenichi Eno- 
moto grossed $24,500; vaudeville 
star Kingoro Yanagiya, $9,725; 
film director Masahiro Malcino 
picked up better than $18,000 and 
sometime actor, pro-wrestler Riko- 
dozan earned around $11,000 from 
the grunt and groan routine. 



P'AfilE'f'Y 


Wedneeday, April 4, 1956 



Ever since lili Had Its record* 
breaking run at this theatre 
Our patrons have asked us 
for another Leslie Caron 
picture of e$ual charm 
md fceauty... WeVe jot it 


THEY’RE WAITING 
FOR "GABY” 

Photo of Trans-Lux 
52nd St. front. It is 
fitting that "Gaby” 
has its N.Y. Premiere 
here where M-G-M’s 
"Lili” ran for almost 
2 years. 


LESLIE CARON 
JOHN KERR 





GOING AFTER "GABY” NATIONWIDE! 

Telling the nation! Billboards, Newspapers, Magazines, .Radio,TV! 

POSTING CAMPAIGN — 24-sheets blanket America coast to coast:, Buffalo, Boston, 

Cleveland, Houston, Los Angeles, Memphis, New Orleans, Philadelphia, Pittsburgh, Portland, Ore., Salt 
Lake City, St. Louis, Sart Francisco, Seattle. 

NATIONAL MAGAZINES — Full pages in 4-colors in Life, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, 

Seventeen. Look (two facing y 2 pages in 4-colors). "PICTURE OF THE MONTH” COLUMN in Look, 
Collier’s, Good Housekeeping, McCall’s, Woman’s Home Companion, Cosmopolitan, Parents’, American. 
"LION’S ROAR” COLUMN in Saturday Evening Post. ' 

AND NEWSPAPERS! AND RADIO! AND TV! 

M-G-M presents in CinemaScope “GABY” starring LESLIE CARON • JOHN KERR • with Sir Cedric Hardwicke 
Taina Elg • Screen Play by Albert Hackett &, Frances Goodrich and Charles Lederer • Based on a Screen Play‘by 
S. N. Behrman, Paul H. Rameau and George Froeschel • From the Play u Waterloo Bridge ” by Robert E . Sherwood 
Photographed in Eastman Color • Print by Technicolor • Directed by Curtis Bernhardt • Produced by Edwin H . Knopf 

★ 

(Available in Magnetic Stereophonic, Perspecta Stereophonic or l*ChanneI Sound) 












y r ednegday, April 4, 1956' 


PfimtffY 


PICTURES 


13 


$10-MIL TAKE ON 16M VERSIONS 


4 - 


No Evidence Arabs Snub US. Films 

Current tensions in the Middle East so far have failed to affect 
American films in that area. 

While there is some anti-American feeling in the Arab states, 
and the Israelis don’t feel good about vacillating Yankee for¬ 
eign policy which refuses them arms, such considerations have 
not translated themselves into action vs. Hollywood pix. 

Most of the companies distribute in the Arab countries via lo¬ 
cal agents. Metro owns several modern houses in Cairo and Alex¬ 
andria. 

One of the U. S. distribs last week had a report that Egypt in¬ 
tended to cut film imports to about 80% of last year’s level. Also, 
the film agreement in Israel runs out June 30, and the economic 
situation there is such that less favorable terms can be expected 
for the upcoming year. 

Two years ago, there were reports that an Arab boycott against 
Jewish firms was being extended to the American industry. How¬ 
ever, such a move never developed to any significant extent and 
hasn’t been revived in recent months, even though other Jewish 
firms have suffered from it. Hollywood pix are very popular in 
the Middle East which, with the exception of Egypt, has little 
film production of its own. Action features are particularly good 
at the local b.o. 


20th s Fiscal Prognosis - 


Skouras Sanguine That ‘Carousel’ Will fie Top 
Grosser Since ‘The Robe’ 

■ +- : - 


Increase in overall Income of 
more than $5,000,000 was reported 
by 20th-Fox last week for the year 
1955. However, the . company’s 
net was down to $6,025,039, a drop 
of more than $2,000,000 from 1954. 

Drop in income was due to a 
sharp increase in film distribution 
and administrative expenses and 
higher amortization of film costs. 
The 1955 net equalled $2.28 per 
share against $3.04 in the prior 
year when the net stood at $8,044, 
524. 


Company’s total film rentals 
were put at $109,566,851. Since 
foreign billings alone amounted to 
$53,000,000, 20th last year got 
more than 48% of its overall in¬ 
come from the overseas market. 
The company has theatre interests 
abroad. . — 


Simultaneous with reporting 
the net for the 53 weeks in 1955, 
20 th also disclosed a net of $1,- 
578,188—equal to 60c. per share— 
for the fourth quarter ended Dec. 
31, 1955. For the comparable 
quarter in 1955 profit ran to $2,- 
312,461, or 87c. per share. 

Stockholders were told that 
20 th’s amortization table, although 
still working within a period of 
65 weeks, had been adjusted to 
more properly reflect amortization 
expense in the light of slower 
playoff of Cinemascope pictures 
and the larger proportion of film 
rental from abroad. The revisions 
went into effect for the last quar¬ 
ter of 1955. 


At the studio, oil well num 
eight has proven to be the t 
to date, and number nine is r 
drilling. 

Prexy Spyros P. Skouras p 
dl ^ ed in the report that “Car 
sel in 20th’s Cinemascope 
should be 20th’s biggest gros 
since “The Robe.’’ Musical is 
P® c t e d to gross for 20th aroi 
$6,000,000 in the domestic (U. 
and Canadian) market alone. Cl 
t° tllis is “How to Marrj 
Millionaire,one of the ea 
LinemaScope films, which is o 
the $5,000,000 mark now. 

, sur Prisingly large number 
<50Ui s releases still recoups 
negative cost in the domestic m 
Ket and, in many instances, m 
f ge f t° do better than break ei 
Jn, U ' s * and Canada, leav 
revenu ® as “gravy.” “L< 
« a Many Splendored Thing,’-’ 
instance, which cost $1,600,000, : 
grossed $2,800,000 in 9,000 dates 

*nn s ]? ould end U P With ! 

Tal l Men,” standing 
$3,400,000 now in 8,000 dates, > 
nit over $4,000,000. “Lieuten 
K° n r ® Skirts,’' made for less tl 
Jl.OOO, 000 , has $1,300,000 in 
rln ady . and should end up w 
close to $2,000,000. 

!• The disappointments in the 2 
flneup, apart from the ea 
Punce of Players,” include “1 
tamed, ’ “Virgin Queen” < 
seven Cities of Gold.” 


Rep '56 First-Quarter 
Doubled Over ’55 Period 

Republic Pictures and subsidi¬ 
aries last week reported net profit 
of $773,641 for the quarter ending 
Jan. 28, compared to earnings of 
$383,207 for the similar period end¬ 
ed Jan. 29, 1955. 

Net for the 1956 quarter amount¬ 
ed to $1,051,391 before Federal 
tax provisions of $277,750. Like¬ 
wise, take for the comparable 1955 
quarter was $833,207 before taxes 
of $450,000. 


Fed Attorneys 
Seek New Data 
For Film Probe 

Two attorneys attached to the 
Senate Small Business Committee 
probing film industry practices 
were in New York yesterday 
(Tues.) to confer with distribution 
officials and to seek answers to 
charges made by exhibition lead¬ 
ers before the Senate group two 
weeks ago. The Government law¬ 
yers—Charles Noone and John 
Flynn—met with Adolph Schimel, 
Universal’s general counsel and 
distribution’s representative in the 
drafting of the proposed arbitra¬ 
tion system. 

Noone and Flynn were mainly 
concerned in outlining to the dis¬ 
tribution group the information the 
Senate committee wanted the film 
companies to offer when they are 
called to Washington to present 
their case in the dispute between 
distribution and exhibition. Dis¬ 
tribution, meanwhile, has submit¬ 
ted to the Senate committee a copy 
of the proposed arbitration system 
Which Allied States Assn, complete¬ 
ly nixed and which Theatre Owners 
of America “temporarily” turned 
down after originally approving it. 

Distribution’s day before the 
Washington solons is expected to 
come late in April or early in May. 
No specific date for the appearance 
of film company executives has 
been set as yet. 


To Close Kirby, Houston 

Houston, April 3. 

All employees of the Kirby The¬ 
atre here are on two weeks’ notice 
and the theatre will be closed, per 
orders of Interstate Circuit. 

A1 Lever, city manager of the 
circuit, admitted biz very bad at 
the house but that no definite date 
for folding. May be in two weeks, 
a month or in six weeks. 

The theatre has been operat¬ 
ing for about 30 years. Interstate 
leases from Jesse H. Jones. 


Myers Slashes Back at Brandt: 

‘Has Made Career of Allied Attack’ 


U.S. FULLY SOLD. 
BUTNOTO'SEIIS 

Exclusive of the business ob¬ 
tained from the U. S. Army, Navy, 
and Air Force, the annual ..world¬ 
wide take from the distribution of 
16m versions of theatre features 
by major companies which handle 
narrow-gauge currently runs about 
$10,000,000 annually. It’s thought 
that the saturation point in 16m 
business has been reached in the 
United States. However, it’s felt 
there is considerable room for ex¬ 
pansion in countries abroad. 

Even though the domestic field 
is crowded, Metro is seriously con¬ 
sidering entering it. Outfit feels 
there’s coin to be made in the 
narrow-gauge market. 

According to an official in charge 
of 16m distribution for a major 
company, the film market in the 
U. S. is 10% theatrical as compared 
with 90% non-theatrical. In con¬ 
trast, the opposite is true in many 
countries abroad. In France, for 
example, it’s 90% theatrical as com¬ 
pared with 10% non-theatrical. 

In the U. S. the introduction of 
television in hospitals, penal insti¬ 
tutions, and other places where 
people are confined has resulted 
in a decline in 16m business. How- 
ever, the overall take from the do¬ 
mestic market has. been able to 
hold its own because of the expand¬ 
ing demands of^the school systems. 

In foreign countries, the intro¬ 
duction of 16m in a formerly un¬ 
tapped area represents an impor¬ 
tant plus for the film industry in 
general. As the population becomes 
accustomed to films and a demand 
for pictures is obtained, it opens 
the area for conversion fco 35m and 
the building of theatres. 

Some 16m' installations are con¬ 
verting to narrow-gauge Cinema- 
Scope, although progress in this di¬ 
rection has been slow. At present, 
there are approximately 200 16m 
C’Scope situations in the U. S. and 
Canada, with a total of a little less 
than 300 world-wide. 


‘Conqueror’ Buys Mirror 
Centre Fold for $2,340 

, Entire centre fold of the New 
York Daily Mirror was purchased 
by RKO last Friday (30) at a cost 
of $2,340, marking the first time 
that, the double truck has been 
used for advertising purposes. Film 
company used the space for a 
splash of six cuts on “The Con¬ 
queror.” 

This space in the Heart tabloid 
heretofore had been given to news 
photos exclusively. Deal for the 
spread, in addition to similar lay¬ 
outs in other Hearst and Scripps- 
Howard papers across the country, 
was set by Terry Turner in behalf 
of RKO. 


Washington, April 3. 

Officers and directors of Allied 
Artists acquired substantial blocks 
of company common stock last 
month under the firm's stock pur¬ 
chase plan, according to the latest 
SJEC monthly report of “insider” 
stock transactions. 

Alfred Crown picked up 5,000; 
Maurice R. Goldstein 6,000 shares; 
Edward Morey 6,000; Norton V. 
Ritchey 6,000; Sam Wolf, 5,000. In 
addition, Andrew B. McDonald pur¬ 
chased 1,000 shares and Marvin E. 
Mirisch bought 3,000. 

Arthur M. Loew notified SEC 
that he has bought 1,000 Loew’s 
common. Donald T. Yates built up 
his holding of Republic Pictures to 
3,130 in his own name, and 197,986 
in his Tonrud, Inc. Charles F. Me- 


‘King Kong’ Back Again 
Despite TV Exposuft 

“King Kong,” which . drew re¬ 
markable returns when reissued six 
years ago, is set for another market 
whirl despite the fact that it has 
been shown on television in two 
areas. Film was seen recently on 
WOR-TV, New York, and WHBQ. 
Memphis, both of which are owned 
by Teleradio, RKO affiliate. 

Feature, now to be withheld from 
any other tv outlet, will be sold to 
theatrical accounts in June coupled 
with “I Walked With a Zombie.” 


Where is Line 
Of Consistency 
On Divorce? 

Joint effort of Theatre Owners 
of America and Allied States 
Assn, to induce the Dept, of Jus¬ 
tice to give the greenlight to the 
formerly-affiliated chains to begin 
a production program has indus¬ 
try ites wondering how the Govern¬ 
ment agency can possibly accede 
to this request without .permitting 
the divorced production-distribu¬ 
tion companies to acquire theatres. 
Either way, that would break di¬ 
vorcement. 

The desires of the exhibitor or¬ 
ganizations are, of course, based 
on finding a means to increase the 
yearly output of films in order to 
alleviate the serious product short¬ 
age. Allied, in particular, has asked 
for certain restrictions should the 
D. of J. permit the divorced cir¬ 
cuits to enter production. How¬ 
ever, the Allied request is based 
on future theatre acquisitions. It 
allows the theatre chains to obtain 
a priority in playing the pictures 
they might produce. 

industry attorneys, in studying 
the TOA and Allied petitions, can’t 
see how the Government’s consent 
decree can be amended to allow 
the formerly-affiliated theatres to 
begin production without permit¬ 
ting the 'divorced production-dis¬ 
tribution firms to obtain theatres. 

A Justice Dept, official ^has ad¬ 
mitted that there might be* a loop¬ 
hole that would allow the divorced 
studios to demand the right to ac¬ 
quire theatres if the D. of J. per¬ 
mits the divorced chains to enter 
production. If this situation comes 
about, it’s noted that the industry 
would return to the same condi¬ 
tions that existed prior to the fa¬ 
mous U. S. vs. Paramount case 
which started the chain of events 
which led to the eventual separa¬ 
tion of the giant production-thea¬ 
tre companies. As a result, the 
Dept, of Justice’s action on the Al¬ 
lied and TOA request is being 
watched 


Khann, of Stanley-Warner, ac¬ 
quired 100 shares of the circuit's 
common. This gives him a total 
of 700. 

There was 'considerable insider 
trading in Trans-Lux common dur¬ 
ing the month. Harry Brandt pur¬ 
chased 3,300 shares in two deals. 
This makes 128,515 in his own 
name. He has another 3,000 in 
three Brandt foundations and his 
wife holds 17,700. 

Jay Emanuel bought 1,000 Trans- 
Lux common in February, giving 
him a total of 12,000 shares. Albert 
D. Erickson’s purchase of 1,000 
upped him to a total of 2,600. Per- 
cival E. Furber acquired 5,010 and 
now owns 7,810; Aquila C. Giles 
bought 1,000, for a total of 2,000; 
Jacob Starr added 2,300 shares. He 
now holds 31,000. 


Washington, April 3. 

Abram F. Myers, board chair¬ 
man of Allied States Assn., lashes 
back at Harry Brandt in a supple¬ 
mental statement filed today 
(Wed.) with the Senate Small 
Business subcommittee investigat¬ 
ing film industry practices. Myers* 
11 -page, single-spaced reply is an 
answer to the “personal attacks” 
made by the New York exhibitor 
in a prepared statement before the 
Senate committee two weeks ago. 

“Brand’,” said Myers, “has 
made a career of attacking Allied 
and its leaders and any others who 
may from time to time have chal¬ 
lenged the practices of the major 
film companies. It has been the 
custom of Allied, and certainly of 
myself, to ignore these verbal as¬ 
saults as long as they did not cir¬ 
culate outside the motion picture 
business. This is because Brandi’s 
record is well-known to the trade 
and his frantic efforts to gain a 
following outside of New York City 
and its environs have failed.” 

Myers declared that he would 
not have bothered to reply to 
Brandt now had not Brandt’s s’ate- 
ments been made part of a public 
record. The Allied leader devotes 
considerable space in attempting 
to downgrade the influence of the 
Independent Theatre Owners 
Assn., of which Brandt is the 
president. He stated that “the im¬ 
pression prevails in exhibitor cir¬ 
cles that the ITOA is primarily a 
buying and booking group.” Myers 
points out, too, that Brandt’s 
claims of theatre ownership do not 
differentiate' between theatres he 
owns and theatres for which he 
provides a buying and booking 
service. 

The Allied official dispu’es 
Bandt’s assertion that the ITOA 
represents a group of “small thea¬ 
tres,” noting that Brandt repre¬ 
sents some 104 theatres, including 
several Broadway houses strictly 
in the “big time.” 

Declaring that Allied is not con¬ 
cerned with Brandt’s “absurd pre¬ 
tentions,” Myers said his organiza¬ 
tion is resen ful of the implication 
“that Allied is something separate 
and apart from its members—that 
the members are not informed 
concerning the organization’s poli¬ 
cies and actions.” He ou 1 lines in 
detail how Allied operates and 
how the members have a voice in 
every action taken by the Allied 
leaders. 

Myers, refuting Brandt’s state¬ 
ments point by point, bands the 
N. Y. theatreman’s testimony as 
“mere vicious piffle about events 
occuring long ago which have lit¬ 
tle or no bearing on matters now 
before the subcommittee.” He 
charges that Brandt’s efforts to 
make it appear that Allied is more 
interested in fomenting strife 
than finding solutions to industry 
problems is “plainly intended to 
prejudice Allied and its leaders in 
the minds of the subcommittee . . . 

“Brandt credits me,” Myers said, 
“with far greater potency than the 
facts warrant or my modesty will 
admit when he proclaims that I 
am entitled to the highest recog¬ 
nition for the provisions of the 
Paramount decrees which he does 
not like and for results allegedly 
flowing therefrom.” 


Millard Kaufman Adapts 
Boston Newsman’s Novel 

Boston, April 3. 
Millard Kaufman has been as¬ 
signed to do the screen play for 
MGM of the story written by Rod 
MacLeish, WBZ-WBZA news direc¬ 
tor based on the 1955 New England 
floods. Metro paid $35,000 for the 
screen rights to the novelette to 
be published by the Saturday 
Evening Post April 14. 

Nicholas Nayfack will produce 
the film which has “The Sergeant” 
as working title. No cast has yet 
been chosen. Story is laid around 
incidents in a New England town 
during the floods. MacLeish cov¬ 
ered the floods for WBZ-WBZA 
and wrote the novelette based on 
his experiences. x 


Allied Artists and Other Insider Buys 


14 


PHRIETY 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


KEEPYOUR BOXOFFICE EYE on the BROADWAY-CAPITOL, 


DETROIT 


and on the entire Butterfield Circuit 


THE GUTS and GLORY Story... Boldly and Bravely Told! 


P>i?f 


IRVING H LEVIN 




k. 


SUPER SCOPE 


RKO The Showmanship Company, 
is launching another picture destined 

,o ge , IMPORTANT MONEY ^ YOU! 

































Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


PSriett 


PICTURES 


15 


Amusement Stock Quotations f No Mere Backlogs 


(N.Y. Stock Exchange) 
For Week Ending Tuesday (3) 


1959 

High Low 

Weekly Vol.Weekly Weekly 

Tues. 

Net 

Change 

27 3 4 

245* 

In 1009 
Am Br. Par Th 288 

High 

27% 

Low 

25% 

Close 

27% 

for week 

+ 15% 

28% 

23 3 4 

CBS <‘A M .... 

68 

28% 

27% 

27% 

— % 

28% 

23% 

CBS “B".... 

59 . 

28 

27 

27% 

— % 

26 s 4 

22% 

Col Pix...., 

46 

23% 

22% 

223/4 

— % 

16 7 k 

141-8 

pecca . 

68 

15% 

147k 

15 

— % 

91 

753-4 

Eastman Kdk 

168 

91 

85% 

.90 

+ 4% * 

* 4" 8 

334 

EMI .. 

957 

4% 

33-8 

4 

+ % 

24*4 

187-g 

Loew’s. 

283 

22% 

215k 

2%k 

— 3/ 8 

9 

8 

Nat,. Thea... 

152 

8% 

8 

8 

— % 

36 ''2 

3014 

Paramount ., 

55 

3334 

32% 

33 

+ 3 4 

36% 

31% 

Philco . 

123 

34% 

32% 

3334 

— % 

50% 

41% • 

RCA... 

258 

48% 

48 

4734' 

— % ' 

9 

8 % 

RKO Piets... 

107 

85fc 

8 % 

8 % 

+ % 

12 

9% 

RKO Thea.. 

267 

11 % 

' 107k 

107 k 

— % 

8 % 

714 . 

Republic 

61 

8 

7% 

77k 

+ % • 

15(8 

14 

Rep., pfd.... 

5 

14% 

14 

14 

— % 

17% 

16 

Stanley War. 

64 

16% 

16 

16 

— % 

27% 

22 % 

Storer ...... 

65 

2734 

23% 

24% 

+ % 

26% 

21 % 

20th-Fox 

122 

25% 

247 s 

25% 

+ % 

29 1 2 

25% 

Univ. Pix_ 

5 

27% 

27- 

27 

— % 

821-2 

77 

Univ., pfd- 

*20 

82% 

81% 

80% 


24 3 i 

18-% 

Warner Bros. 

58 

. 21 

201 % 

21 ’ ' 

' + % 

141% 

120 

Zenith .. 

21 

133% 

131 

132% 

— 3/4 


American Stock Exchange 


6% 43k Allied Artists 

42 

5 

434 

5 

+ % 

13% 10% Ail’d Art., pfd. 

4 

113k 

11% 

11% 


10 8 Du Mont. 

76 

87 k 

8% 

85k 

+ % 

334 3 Nat’l Telefilm 

59 

334 

3% 

3% 

+ % 

5% 2 3 4 Skiatron 

55 

4% 

47k 

45k 


12 3 « 11% Technicolor.. 

220 

12% 

117 k 

12 

:_ 

4% 3% Trans-Lux...- 

41 

3% 

3 

3% 

— % 

Over-the-Counter Securities 






Bid 

Ask 


Chesapeake Industries .... 



• 3% 

4 

— 

Cinerama Inc.... 



1% 

2 

— 

Cinerama Prod. ..... r... 



3 5 k 

4% 

— Vs 

Du Mont Bdcast ... 



7 

734 

+ % 

Guild Films. 



3% 

33k 

— 

Official Films . 



2 

2 % 

— 

U. A. Theatres. 



97 k- 

107k 

+ % 

Walt Disney .. 



41/2 

45% 

— % 

♦Actual Volume. 







(Quotations furnished by Dreyfus A Co.) 


C.W. WINCHELL HEADS 
MINNESOTA AMUSEMENT 

Minneapolis, April 3. 

Charles W. Winchell has succeed¬ 
ed to the presidency of Minnesota 
Amusement Co., largest theatre 
chain hereabouts, on retirement of 
Harry B. French, president of the 
company since 1947, who becomes 
chairman of the board. - 

Winchell, since 1947 vice presi¬ 
dent and assistant to French, is 
upped coincidentally with naming 
of two- vice presidents: George C. 
Shepherd, director of concessions 
for the firm, and John A. Branton L 
director of booking and buying. 
Charles W. Perrine, company treas¬ 
urer, already was a vice president. 

Firm operates nearly 50 theatres 
in Minnesota, North and South Da¬ 
kota and western Wisconsin— 
among them soine principal loop 
houses in Minneapolis and St. Paul 
—Radio City :and State of Minne¬ 
apolis, Paramount and Riviera in 
St. Paul. 

Winchell is. an ex-newspaperman 
who got ^ into publicity with old 
Finkelstein & Ruben, firm, became 
advertising and publicity director, 
went to New York in 1928 and re¬ 
turned here in 1932 as ad-pub 
head for Minnesota Amusement. 

Cinerama Hits Atlanta 
Like Selzpick’s "Wind’ 

. Atlanta, April 3. 

Not since David O. Selznick un¬ 
veiled “Gone With the Wind" 
here in 1^39 has this southern city 
witness a premiere to equal the 
opening of Cinerama at the Roxy 
theatre yesterdhy (Mori.). Teeing 
off With “This Is Cinerama," first 
Picture in the three-strip medium, 

Stanley Warner staged the event 
tor the benefit of the Atlanta Sym¬ 
phony Guild. The local orch, it’s 
figured, will net about $10,000 
lorn the $5-per-tlcket premiere 
and a preceding $7.50-per-person 

ouffet supper. • 

■'Cinerama“leased the 2,500-seat 
house from the 'Wilby-Kincey cir¬ 
cuit, which has been operating the 
r atn L. as * double feature spot. 
Converting the theatre to Cine- 
tlle seating capacity 
m<Ji ,458 .^ eats .' Ra y Conner, for- 
Cinerama in Washing- 
n, is the managing director and 
supervises the 65-man staff. Ed 
r ve - formerly with Ringling 
Jh£ s -» l ? arnum & Bailey, is han¬ 
ging the exploitation and adver¬ 
tising. 

/ T ? eg V lai :„ run beginning tonight 
tTues.) will be at a $2.49 top. 


Louis Sobel’s 25th 

iimmmmmm Continued from page 2 — 

they arranged that two of their 
members, Paul Benson and Bernie 
Green, assume the toastmaster 
chores, and for atmosphere a few 
performers grace the dais, namely 
Benny Fields, Jesse Block, Red 
Buttons, Jack E. Leonard and Joey 
Adams, along with execs of the 
N. Y. Journal American, Sobol's 
homebase. However, with a pair of 
pros on the stuffed celery circuit 
like Leonard and Buttons, the at¬ 
mosphere becomes too hot for 
tyros to handle. Expert heckling 
from Buttons and Leonard, plus 
contributions from some of the 
ringsiders, made it tough for the 
flack-emcees, but it was all good, 
not-too-clean -fun. 

Columbia Pix veepee Jack Cohn, 
Ed Sullivan and Hy Gardner came 
in after the proceedings started 
and Jack Carter and Sammy Davis 
|^Jr. further contributed to the eve¬ 
ning. 

After Bernie Green’s brief and 
nervous turn at emceeing and NBC 
publicity veepee Syd Eiges' racon- 
teuring, Leonard decided to brook 
no more speeches, introduced him¬ 
self, and took over for the rest 
of the evening. In his remarks, 
Leonard praised Toots Shor and 
his restaurant (“Your food is won¬ 
derful; this is where I lost all my 
weight.") To a heckler he said, 
“My hesitations are better than 
your speeches," and to Sullivan he 
remarked that he had developed a 
personality, but didn’t know what 
it was. In between lines, he drew 
a few words of praise for the g. 
of h. 

Benny Fields gave a warm sum¬ 
mation of the songs that were pop¬ 
ular when Sobol started column- 
ing, and,his rendition of “Melan¬ 
choly Baby” brought just the right 
note of nostalgia to the proceed¬ 
ings. Sammy DaVis Jr. adlibbed 
greetings through the voices of 
various celebs, and Jacl& Carter 
praised Sobol's column for letting 
him know what girls he goes with. 

However, it remained for the 
guest of honor -to give just the 
right touch of warmth to top off 
the event. Sobol spoke extempo¬ 
raneously and feelingly. From him 
it could be deduced that he loved 
his job, his paper, associates and 
still was very much in love with 
Broadway. He spoke with great af¬ 
fection for the era he has gone 
through. Those that like him, 
which included everybody in the 
room, liked him even better after 
his speech. Jose. 


Continued from page 7 ; 

ing to discuss all types of deals 
with different telepix outfits in the 
hope of coming up with a suitable 
arrangement, but no definite deal 
is in the wind at the moment. The 
film company, still staunchly op¬ 
posed to outright sale of any pic¬ 
tures, is now seriously weighing 
the possibility of setting up its own 
tv distribution, organization, It’s 
expected that discussions on this 
method will be held at the board' 
of directors meeting on the Coast 
on April 12. 

Metro, as well as other film com¬ 
panies, are wondering if it would 
be possible to use part of their 
present sale setups for the market¬ 
ing of tv films. Although it is gen¬ 
erally agreed that tv selling and 
the distribution ‘ of prints differ 
considerably from the present thea¬ 
tre system of distribution, there 
are many film executives who feel 
that it can be accomplished with¬ 
out too much difficulty. It’s point¬ 
ed out, for example, that the film 
companies maintain offices in 32 
key cities and that the work of the 
sales staff has been considerably 
lightened by the drop in the num¬ 
ber of theatrical films released an¬ 
nually. 

So far no film company has con¬ 
sidered it feasible to employ its 
present exchange setup for the 
handling of tv films. Columbia and 
Republic, both of which distribute 
their own former theatrical films 
to tv, operate through special tv 
subsidiaries. The establishment of 
a tv subsid appears to be gaining 
favor among the major companies. 

Warners unloading of its backlog 
is not completely understood 
the trade although there is a the¬ 
ory that the company needed ready 
cash to support its advances to in¬ 
dependent producers. RKO’s pre¬ 
vious sale is more comprehensible 
since the company required funds 
to launch a theatrical production 
program after floundering in un¬ 
certainty prior to the Thomas F. 
O’Neil takeover from Howard 
Hughes. 

At present, the remainder of the 
major companies are not faced with 
serious financial pressures that 
would force them to sell their back¬ 
logs for immediate cash or capital 
gains deals. Several companies are 
on record as opposing outright sales 
to tv or. making films available to 
television. Universal's prexy Mil- 
ton R. Rackmil does not feel that 
the time is right to sell to televi¬ 
sion. He stressed, too, that U would 
do nothing to kill off its regular 
customers—the theatres. Spyros 
Skouras of 20th-Fox has frequently 
stated that he did not favor the 
outright sale of pix to television, 
but that he regarded a lease ar¬ 
rangement as more suitable. 


March B.O. Holds Well; ‘Picnic No. 1, 
‘Carousel’ Cops Second, ‘Holiday’ 3d, 
‘Tattoo’ 4th, ‘Cry’ ‘Conqueror Next 


Liberace Tranquil 

- Continued from page 5 — 

been in a picture two years ago, 
any vehicle I was in would have 
been a hit. But when the public 
sees you oft tv every week, year 
after year, they tire of you and 
don’t have that desire to see you in 
a picture." 

“My ace in the hole is Europe, 
where tv is unimportant," he con¬ 
tinued. “In the Philippines, where 
they have no tv, the picture was 
held over for eight weeks. It also 
did very well in Australia, where 
they won’t have tv until September. 
In fact, it .was on the strength of 
my picture that.my television series 
has been sold in Australia. 

“Over-exposure hurts you at the 
film boxoffice. One banana spilt 
is terrific, but as for the second, 
you can’t make it. It’s the same 
way with tv stars over-exposed. 

“Consequently, I am not going to 
attempt a second picture at War¬ 
ners this year. We < Liberace and 
his associates) were co-producers 
on “Sincerely," and don’t get any 
money out of it until it recoups its 
cost. I can’t afford to take 16 
weeks out of my earning time for 
another picture, particularly since 
I have yet to make any money on 
the first. The picture has just about 
recouped its cost by now, but we 
still haven’t seen any money. It’s 
now being dubbed for foreign re¬ 
lease, and I expect it to do much 
better abroad. 

“We figured it cost us $500,000 
in outstanding contracts—deals we 
had to skip—to make the picture. 
We’re just now catching up with 
those contracts. While the door is 
open for future work, there is 
plenty of time to prove I’m an 
actor. We’ll gamble later on on 
pictures," ho concluded. 


♦ Although exhibitors had to con¬ 
tend with the worst snowstorms in 
several years and severe weather' 
in many spots, plus Lent, the na¬ 
tional boxoffice held up remark¬ 
ably well last month (March). More 
big b.o. pix were around, and all 
were doing great biz| even on long- 
runs. The month saw the launch¬ 
ing on an extensive scale of 20th- 
Fox’s 55 C’Scope, and that was a 
plus factor. In fact, the trade held 
so well that the first four highest- 
grossing pix racked up $4,020,000.. 
“Picnic” (Col), which was a win- 
man, Jack S. Connelly, chief of the j ner as the month of February 


March's Top 10 

1. “Picnic" (Col). 

2. “Carousel” (20th). 

3. “Cine Holiday" (Indie). 

4. “Rose Tattoo" (Par). 

5. “Cry Tomorrow" (M-G), 

6. “Conqueror" (RKO), 

7. “Oklahoma" (Magna). 

8. “Court Jester" (Par). 

9. “Golden Arm" (UA>. 

10. “Guys, Dolls" (M-G). 


Irvin Marks 

Contituied from page 2 ; 


Motion Picture Dept., U.S. Informa¬ 
tion Service, even had an FBI 
manhunt organized, but Marks 
eluded that too. • 

Once before the late theatre- 
owner Col. Fred Levy thought he 
spotted Marks in the Brown Hotel. 
Louisville (Ky.), and tried to run 
after him from the diningroom but 
Marks eluded him. Latter later 
confessed that, because of finan¬ 
cial reverses, he wanted to be 
“sure” his friends wanted him and 
rather than risk disappointment he 
took odd jobs, chiefly in Florida 
and environs, as gas-station at¬ 
tendant, insurance and realty 
salesman, racetrack tipster, etc. 
Marks added that many from show 
business did see him at the Miami 
tracks but did nothing until Sadow- 
sky sparked the late Lee and J. J. 
Shubert who “guaranteed" Marks 
a job “at anything he wants to 
do." The Shuberts, Sadowsky and 
Gilbert Miller pooled some funds 
which enabled Marks to return to 
his favorite city, Paris. 

Incidentally, pals affectionately 
called him “Frenchy’ because of 
Marks’ complete defeat in mas¬ 
tering the language. A typical ex¬ 
asperation of Marks’ losing battle 
even with “restaurant French" was 
his “donnez-mois” beginning and 
then a . segue into English, invari¬ 
ably footnoted with, “Blankety- 
blank, don’t any of you guys 
understand English!" It never oc¬ 
curred to him he was in- their 
country. j 


Republic Meeting 


— Continued from page 7 - 

atrical film industry. A year ago 
he made a threat, based on indi¬ 
cations of the time, “to stop mak¬ 
ing pictures for theatres and de¬ 
vote fulltime to our laboratory and 
television." 

Such a move is not. viewed by 
Yates as in immediate prospect, 
but the situation is “being studied 
very carefully by the board." He 
noted the drop in attendance over 
the past several years and disclosed 
that Rep’s gross revenue this year 
will be surpassed by money from 
developing and printing pix and 
from the tv end. Thus while down- 
beat on theatrical business, he is, 
he said, optimistic on the lab work, 
rentals of studio space to tv inter¬ 
ests, the sale of old product to tv 
and the licensing of both Rep’s tv 
films and the dated theatrical pix 
in the foreign market the latter 
part of. this year. 

Smith, called upon to address 
the meeting by Yates, said he was 
pleased with the turn of events at 
the Rep helm. He related it was 
his and his associates’ idea to 
strenghten the board by bring¬ 
ing in members not connected oth¬ 
erwise with the . company and this 
has been done. He added he has 
assurances from Yates that another 
member of the directorate will be 
added subsequently. 

Smith reported that as part of 
his campaign he wanted an inde¬ 
pendent auditing of Rep’s account¬ 
ing procedures and this, too, has 
been done. Recommendations by 
the auditors of changes in the 
bookkeeping practices are now be¬ 
ing studied by the board, Smith 
revealed. 

The stockholders elected five 
board members to three-year terms 
—namely, Ernest A. Hall, A. Lquis 
Oresman, Harry C. Mills, John J. 
O’Connell and Leon A, Swirbul. 


closed, easily copped first place in 
the March sweepstakes at the 
wickets. This opus from the stage 
production of the same title held 
in No. 1 spot for five consecutive 
weeks (three of them in March), 
before relinquishing its hold to. 
“Carousel" (20th) in the final 
stanza of the month. Even in this 
final week it was a close second. 

“Carousel" wound up second, al¬ 
though a little late getting started. 
Upped-scale engagements in many 
keys helped, with the public dis- ■ 
playing a'“must see" yen for the 
improved C’Scope process. 

“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie), 
which is -rounding out final weeks 
soon in numerous key cities, cap¬ 
tured third place, landing this spot 
every one of the four weeks in 
March. “Rose Tattoo" (Par) copped 
fourth money with nearly $700,000 
total gross in keys covered by 
Variety. 

Fifth position honors were hotly 
contested by “The Conqueror" 
(RKO) and “I’ll Cry Tomorrow" 
(M-G), with the latter finally edg¬ 
ing out the other pic. Each pic¬ 
ture topped $600,000 gross, but 
"Conqueror” wound up sixth 
mainly because of a tendency to 
taper off on extended-runs. How¬ 
ever, this John Wayne-Susan Hay¬ 
ward st'arrer managed to capture a 
second place one week during the 
month and is apt to prove the 
greatest moneymaker for RKO in 
more than a year. 

‘Oklahoma’ Heard From " 

“Oklahoma" (Magna), which 
finally opened in enough keys to 
justify inclusion in Variety’s week¬ 
ly tabulations, finished seventh, 
although figuring in gross totals 
only three sessions. It climbed to 
fourth spot for one week in March. 

“Court Jbster" (Par), undoubted¬ 
ly a disappointment for a Danny 
Kaye pic, still managed to wind up 
eight. “Golden Arm” (UA), which 
was third in February, wound up 
ninth despite being included in 
weekly tabulations only two weeks 
in the past month. “Guys and 
Dolls” (M-G), long high on the list 
and winner of monthly sweep- 
stakes for three months in a row, 
rounded out the Top 10. 

“Diabolique” (RUMPO) and “In¬ 
vasion of Body Snatchers" (AA) 
were the runnerup films last 
month. 

“Anything Goes" (Par) looms as 
one of the bright new entries, like¬ 
ly to be heard from in the future. 
“Meet Me in Las Vegas" (M-G) 
is in a like category, showing what 
it takes on initial engagements. 

“Backlash" <U) showed surpris¬ 
ing strength the one week it was 
odt in circulation to any extent. It 
wound up seventh that week. “Ser¬ 
enade" (WB) opened up socko on 
its preem engagement at the N. Y. 
Music Hall as the Hall’s Easter 
picture. \ 

“Song of the South" (BV), back 
on reissue, also hinted nice pos¬ 
sibilities, based on final-week-in- 
March showings. “Goodman Story" 
(U), champ in February, was ninth 
one week. “Doctor At Sea" (Rep) 
displayed promise as a newie, be¬ 
ing a runnerup pic two different 
weeks, although playing virtually 
exclusively in art houses. 

“Last Hunt" (M-G) finished 12th 
another week in March. Exhibs 
were inclined to say sarcastic 
things about “Man Who Never 
Was" (20th), but it managed to be 
a runnerup film one week. “Never 
Say Goodbye" (U) finished as a run¬ 
ner-up production another session. 
“Littlest Outlaw" (BV) ended in 
12th place still another week. 
















1« 


MCTCBES 


Wednetday, April 4, 1956 



SAN FRANCISCO 

(Continued from page 8) 
week, “Martv" <UA) and “Summer¬ 
time" (UA) 1 2d runs*. $9,700. 
Stagedoor (A-R) <440: $l-$2.20)— 

nDHAHWAV i\vk). Present week looks like okay! “Guys and Dolls" <M-G) (20th wk). 

15KU AU YV I < S3.000. Fifth week was $2,700.; Big S6,000. Last week, $5,800. 

(Continued from page 9) "Last 10 Days’’ 'Coll opens April Larkin <Rosener) (400; $11— 

“Slightly Scarlet" <RKO) (2d wk-8 11. “Diabolique” iUMPO) (14th wk). 

days*, $10,000. 1 ~-- Sock $5,200. Last week, $5,000. 

. Bijou (Lopert) <603; $1.50-$1.80U LOS ANGELES. Clay 'Rosener) (400; $D— 

—“Richard IIP Undie) (4th wk).! , rnnf . „ , . m ‘ Samurai'’ (Indie) (4th wk). Nice 

Third week ended Sunday * 1» was' (Continued from page 9) :$2,500. Last week, $3,200. 

fancy $16,000. Second was $14,- <AA) (reissue). Fair $20,000. Last: y 0ffUe <S.F. Theatres) (377; $D— 
300. Stays. t A" L c 0yola .. wlth ,2 , u?’ Fo *| ‘ “Prisoner” (Col; 15th wk). Fine 

Fine Arte (Davis) <46€T; 90-S1.80) .Threshold Space *2<nh) and ; $2 300 Last weefc $2,400. 

— “Diabolique” (UMPO) (20th Lover Boy (20th) 2d wk), Bridffe , Schwarz) (396; $i-$i.25) 
wk). The 19th week concluded . —“Doctor At Sea” (Rep). Great 

Monday 1 2) was socko $9,000 after) Stete, Hawaii (U A J C-G &S) , $4800 Last wee k, “Beachcomber" 
$7,300 for 18th round. Continues. <2.404; 1,106; 80-$1.2o>— Forbid-. kindle) (2d wk), $1,500. 

Glohe mi-andU <1.500; 70-SI 50) wilh^ihS-^unifs ' Rio .Schwarz) .397; SlWDoctor 

—••On Threshold.of Space” i20th>. m j At S ea” .Repi. Big $3,200. Last 


Film Reviews 


; Continued from par* C ; 



000, and winding up a fine run “Hold Back Tomorrow” (U>. Thin : T c nn 

here. $17,500. Last week, Downtown and i ^ ast " eek * 52Z,ouu. 

Guild (Guild) (450; $1-$1.75>— . Hollywood, “Creature W a 1 k s 

“Touch and Go" (U) (3d wk» Sec-1 Among Us" (U) and Price of 

ond round G end ( ed Sunday a) W «». 5«*>0 Pl<» $38,000 in 
climbed tip to big $6,000. First was 3 nabes, d drive-ins. 

$6,500. , Iris (FWC) <816; 90-$1.25>—^ 

Mayfair (Brandt) (1,736; 

$1.80)—“Patterns” ‘UA; (2d ... e . . 

First frame ended Monday (2) was • 800 Last week, with State,. AFL _ CIO pay scales and'condi- 

mild $13,500. In dh6dd r *AI1 Hbsv- . v ,^uu. f Ky <;hootin 2 their nietures a 

en Allows” .U) «4th. wk). 57,000. ! Hillstreet (RKO) (2,752; 80-$l): sleeperjump >< aw’ay from here " 
Normandie (Trans-Lux) <592; : — s ° ng , pL.-S 0 /}? I Also over the weekend, official 

95-$!.8_0) — “Fantasia” (BV) <reis-; ^nd^of Jtner^ nnn Last wee^ slates for upcoming Guild elections 


‘Runaway’ 

Continued from pag 

79- ,, T ^ art “ r „’’ a £? : production area won’t mean much 

"*»• ann-' i K (he producer, are free to ignore 


sue) (9th wk). Eighth round fin-1 "’£>• Slight $4,000. 
ished Monday (2) was big $6,500 j with Pantages, Ritz, $13,300. 

as against $5,000 in seventh week.! Hollywood Paramount (jt&ivij ; l n Farnnm i*t Vn •* Tpy BrndiiQ 
“Lovers and Lollipops" (Trans-• (1.430; $1-$1.50) —“Court Jester”|p’a’ul todiev 3rd v 
Lux) opens next but date not set ' (Par) (3d wk). Okay $13,000. Last i 

Palace (RKO) (1,700; 50-$1.60)- week, $13,700. I Kei ™ r KeI ”P. «eordmg secretary; 

“Tribute To Bad Man" (M-G) and Vogue (FWC) (885; 90-$1.25)— 
vaudeville. Week ending tomor- | “Man Golden Arm" (UA) and “Vol- 
row (Thurs.) looks to hit sockeroo ; cano” (Indie) 3d wk). Fine $5,000. 

$27,000. • Last week. “Hot Blood" \ Last ♦ week, with Orpheum, Up- 
(Col) plus vaude, $16,000. town, Fox Beverly, $25,700. 

Paramount (ABC-Par) (3.664; I Warner Beverly (SW) (1,612; $1- 
$l-$2)—“Anything Goes” <Par) (3d I $1.75) — “Picnic” (Col) (6th wk). 

W'k). First holdover session ended ! Sturdy $14,000. Last week, same. 


last night (Tues.) was big $42,000. 

Fh?st week was $40,000. Stays. 

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 90- 
$1.80)—“Ballet of Romeo and Jul¬ 
iet” (Tohan). Opened Monday. (2). 

In ahead, “Letters From Wind¬ 
mill” (Indie! (15th wk>, $6,000 for 

a solid longrun here. _ 

Radio City Music Hall (Rocke-1 Egyptian 
fellers) (6 200; 95-$2.75) —“Sere-j (UATC) (1,411; 1,242; $1.10-$2.75) 
(WB) ^jilus^ annual^ Easter . —"Oklahoma” (Magna) (20th at 


Chinese (FWC) (1,908; $1.40-$2) 
—“Carousel” (20 th) (7th wk). 
Good $14,500. Last week, above 
hopes at $17,900. 

Four Star (UATC) (868; $1.25- 
$1.80) — “Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) 
, (15th wk-5 days). Nice $4,600. 
! Last week, $7,700. 

United Artists 


nade” 


stageshow (2d wk) Soaring toj Egyptian, 15 th at UA). Smooth 
'huge $195 000 m week ending to -1 ?37 500 . Last week, $40,900. 
day (Wed.), being aided by extra , c .. n n 

shows last “Friday-Saturday and 

three days starting Monday, with | — Cinerama Holiday 

house opening at 7:30 a.m. on each I 
of five days. This is. one of to P ;|« s "“ Sunday^!) 


Jeffrey Sayre, treasurer; all for 
one-year terms. 

Nominated to fill 11 three-year 
terms on SEG directors board, one 
two-year term and two one-year 
terms are Leo Abbey, Evelen Ce- 
der, Paul Cristo, Ethel Greenwood, 
Kenner G. Kemp, Anna Mabry, 
Emil “Larry” Mancine, Tina Men¬ 
ard, Frank Radcliffe, Max Reid, 
Roy Thomas, Sid Troy, Guy Gif¬ 
ford Way and Billy J. Williams. 
Indie nominations can be made by 
signatures of 35 Guild members. 

Nomination committee consisted 
of Spencer Chan, chairman, Eve 
Gordon and Buddy C. Mason from 
the board, and Mary Ellen Batten, 
David Greene, Paul Gustine, Wil- 
| liam H. O’Brien and Joet (cq) 
Robinson, from the membership. 


figures at the Hall. Continues in- 
def. First week was $157,00, over 
hopes. 

Rivoli (UAT) (1.545; $1.50-$3.50) 
—“Oklahoma” (Magna) (25th wk). 
Present session winding up today 


nFNVFP Gilbert has the stature of both a 

UHli V HIv, board member and Coast repre- 

(Continued from page 8) sentative. Gilbert frankly conced- 
1 "Anything Goes” (Par). Fine ed that he burned up by the fact 
i 812,000. Stays. Last week, “Rose j that the “Powerhouse" was behind 
" “ the nomination of Paul Cunning- 


L. Wolfe Gilberl 

= Continued from page 1 s 


K' ‘°^ n s 0 c “” b J°J™} i Tattoo” (p"arY ?8d v 5 tY $9506. 
$41,000, being helped, of course, „ lT , , rnc __ 

by six extra shows. The 24th week ! 4<A J >en T er r , Fo £l 


was $27,500. 

Plaza (Brecker) (556; $1.50- 

$1.85)—“House of Ricardo" (B-B).. „ „ . ,,, 
(4th wk). Third frame ended Mon- I cV$ nnn 
day (2) was great $8,000 after $8,- ■ ’ 

500 in second week. First was a 
sock $10,800. Continues. 

Roxy (Nat’l Th.) (5.717; 65-S2.40) 
“Carousel" (20th) and iceshow on¬ 
stage (7th wk*. This stanza finish¬ 
ing up tomorrow iThurs.) is push- 
ng up to wow $96,000 after S51.000 
for sixth week. Stays until “Man 
in Gray Flannel Suit” (20th) oppns 

An~;i lO ...UL -1 


Man in Gray Flannel Suit" (20th) 
Fancy $15,000. Holds over. Last 
week, “Invasion Body Snatchers” 
<AA) and “Atomic Man" (Indie), 


Esquire (Fox) (742; 75-$l)- 
Bad She’s Bad” . iIndiet, 


-“Too 


ham as the next ASCAP prexy in¬ 
stead of himself. 

Gilbert hailed Cunningham for 
the latter’s work as ASCAP’s rep 
in Washington but he asked why 
Cunningham had clammed up for 
the past' few months when the 


$2,500. Last week, “Lease of Life" 
(IFE), $2,000. 

Orpheum (RKO) (2,600; 60-$D— 
“I’ll Cry Tomorrow" <M-G). Big 
$23,000. Last week, on reissues. 

Paramount (Wolfberg) (2.200; 60- 
$1)—"Alexander the Great” (UA). 


Fair : question of the ASCAP’s presi- 


on April 12 with special preem j Terrific $28,000. Continues. Last 
show. j week, "Comanche" (UA) and 

State (Loew’s) <3.450; 78-$1.75)— 1 “ Storm F . ear ” (UA1 - $13,500. 
“Miracle in Rain" (WB). First I Tabor (Fox) (1,967; 50-75)— 
round ending Friday (6) looks to: “World Without End” (AA) and 
reach good $25,000. Holding. In, “Indestructible Man” (AA). Good 


ahead, “Last Hunt" (M-G) (4t“h wk- 
10 days), $16,000, with previews of 
“Rain" on final day. 

Sutton (R&B) (561; $1-$1.80)— 
‘“The Ladykillers" (Cont) (7th wk). 
Sixth stanza ended Monday (2) 
pushed up to smash $13,100 after 
$12,700 in fifth week. Continues 


$3,500. Last week, on s'ubsequents. 

Vogue (Shulman) (442; 75-90)— 
“Ladykillers" (Cont) (2d wk). Fine 
$3,000. Last week, $4,500. 


dency was raised. Gilbert said 
Cunningham knew that the “Pow¬ 
erhouse" was behind his candi¬ 
dacy but he did not take Gilbert 
into his confidence. 

Calling himself “Estes Kefauver 
Gilbert," who has only the sup¬ 
port of the ranks, Gilbert said he 
became an open candidate for the 
ASCAP presidency upon urgings 
from his friends. He spoke of the 
myth that ASCAP’s prez could only 
be chosen from the so-called aris¬ 
tocracy. That myth, he said, has 
long been exploded and the fitness 
of the A commoner” for office has 
new been accepted. 

Gilbert said he had been warned 
months ago that the “fix" was in 
against him as ASCAP’s prexy. 
But, he said, he went on the as¬ 
sumption that the board members, 
who elect the presidency, would 
be responsive to the will of the 
membership. He accused some 
autocratic 


New Hardtop for Atlanta 


BALTIMORE 

(Continued* from page 9) 

—“Don Juan” (Indie). Opens to- 
Trans-Lux 52d St. (T-L) (540; ^l-. morrow (Wed.). Third week of 
$1.50)—“Doctor At Sea" (Rep) i6thl “Too Bad She’s Bad” (Indie) w T as 
wk). Fifth week Concluded last ■ oke $2,000. 

Jigl 1 was smash $7,5001 Mayfair (Hicks) (980; 50-$1.25) j board members”of an 

alter- $8,500 in fourth session. —"The Conqueror” (RKO). Solid superiority” which puts them be- 
D 1 $6,000. Last week, “Kettles in ! yond the influence of the ranks 

Victoria (City Inv.) (1,060; 50 -:Ozarks" (U), $3,000. 1 me ramcs. 

w h° N ever Was” (Mtb). New (Fruchtman) (1,600; 50- 

Opened yesterday (Tues.). In! $1.25) _ "Alexander The Great” 

attois house. ® Mt C ' er ^ $ 2 ’ 500 ^ $3,000 in the 

Warner (Cinerama Prod.) (1,600-, thlrd * 

$1.20-$3.30)—“Cinerama Holiday" , Stanley (WB) (3,200; 35-$l)— 

(Indie) (61st wk). The 60th round > ‘ Anything Goes" (Par). Okay 
finished Saturday (31) soared to' $10,000. Last week, “Mr. Roberts” 

$49,800 although did not have <1VB) and “Rebel Without A 
benefit of Easter Sunday or any of; Cause* (WB) (2d runs), $6,000. 

Easter week. The 59th week was Town (Rappaport) (1,400: 50-SI) 

$43,600. “7 Wonders of World” 1 — “Forbidden Planet” (M-G). 

(Indie) opens April 10. Starts tomorrow (Wed.) after fifth 

World (Times Film) (385; $l-:week of “I’ll Cry Tomorrow" 

$1.50)—“Dark River" (Times) »6th i (M-G) hit socko $8,000. 


Atlanta, April 3. 

Metropolitan Atlanta last week 
got its first new hardtop motion 
picture house in quite some time. 

Named Belmont Hills, theatre 
gets its name from shopping center 
where it is located on old U.S. 
Highway 41 at Cherokee Road, 
Smyrna. Ed Stevens is president 
of'company operating this new 600- 
seater. 

Doors swung open Saturday, 
March 31, with Metro’s “Guys and 
Dolls” on screen. House Is equip¬ 
ped with CinemaScope screen and 
stereophonic sound. 


Alexander, the Great 

tavo Rojo, as Cleitus, whose kill¬ 
ing by Alexander turns the con¬ 
queror away from conquest; Marisa 
De Leza, who replaces Miss Dar- 
rieux as Philip’s queen, and Teresa 
Del Rio, as Roxane the Persian 
princess whom Alexander marries, 
are among cast capables. 

Set design by Andre Andrejew 
is topflight, so is the. costuming 
and most other technical assists 
except editing, which is rough in 
its present state. The score by 
Mario Nascimbene is extremely 
effective. Brog ... 


Madamoisclle—- Age 39 

(Despinia Eton 39) 
(GREEK) 

Hellenic Film Distributing Corp. release 
of Millas Film production. Stars Basil 
Logothetidis. Directed by Alex Sakelariou. 
Screenplay, Sakellariou and Chris Jiana- 
copolou; music, Alfred Ryder. At Cameo 
Theatre, N.Y., March 23, '56. Running 

time, 92 MINS. 

Telemahos . Basil Logothetidis 

Chrisanthi . Smaro Stephanidou 

Fofo . Ilia Livikou 

Stamati ....;. Thano Generaiis 

The Widow . Dena Stathatou 

The Pensioner . Evangelo Protos 

The Argentinian.Stephan Stratigos 

Tax Appraiser...Michael Papadakis 


(In Greek; English subtitles') 

New Greek-language entry, al¬ 
though provided with English 
subtitles, is strictly for audiences 
who speak the lingo. Neither the 
story nor the subtitles will enable' 
the film to obtain general art- 
house bookings. 

The subtitles, flashed on the 
screen after five or 10 minutes of 
uninterrupted dialog, are poorly 
written as well as inadequate. 
They are obviously written by a 
foreigner not too well versed in 
the English language. Misspellings 
such as “be sitted" for “be seated" 
stand out obviously. 

The film stars Basil Logothetidis, 
Greece’s foremost comedian. Al¬ 
though played for comedy through¬ 
out — featuring pat comedy-of- 
errors and mistaken identity sit¬ 
uations—the story ends on a sad 
note. 

A bachelor brother, anxious to 
get married, feels obligated to find 
a husband first for his unattrac¬ 
tive, spinster sister. Ads in a 
newspaper bring two suitors, -each 
of whom walks off with a bride 
but not with the “advertised mer¬ 
chandise.” One gets a visiting 
cousin and the other nabs the 
brother’s own fiance, thus leaving 
the brother and sister to an un¬ 
married life of loneliness together. 

Performances, on the whole, are 
competent, although characterized 
by the usual volatile quality of 
European thesping. The technical 
aspects of the film are fair but 
they hardly measure up to U.S. 
standards. It was filmed at the 
Naha Studios in Cairo. Holl. 


The Extra Day 
(BRITISH-COLOR) 


London, March 27. 

British Lion release of William Fair- 
child production. Stars Richard Basehart, 
Simone Simon and George Baker. Writ¬ 
ten and directed by 'William Fairchild; 
camera, Arthur Grant; editor, Bernard 
Gribble; music, Philip Green. At Plaza 
Theatre, London. Running time, 83 MINS. 

Joe Blake . Richard Basehart 

Michele Blanchard . Simone Simon 

Steven Marlow . George Baker 

Toni Howard . Josephine Griffin 

Sir George Howard.Colin Gordon 

Kurt Vom . Laurence Naismith 

Bert . Charles Victor 

Barney West . Sidney James 

Mrs. West . Joan Hickson 

Buster West .David Hannaford 

£J rs -~?! iss . °)ga Lindo 

Mr- Bliss . Philip Ray 

Susan . Jill Bennett 

Guy .. John Humphrey 

Ronnie Baker . Dennis Lotis 

Lou Skeat . Meier Tzelniker 

Beryl . .-... Beryl Reid 

Shirley .r. Shani Wallis 


A quartet of . cameos fit unhap¬ 
pily together in “The Extra Day." 
The story has a film studio back¬ 
ground and the action is focused 
on a search for four extras re¬ 
quired for retakes. Richard Base¬ 
hart gives the pic some marquee 
value In the U. S. but Its b.o, 
chances are not very bright. 

Apart from the fact that each of 
the cameos has an air of unreality, 
the story is too episodic to sustain 
interest. Basehart, as personal as¬ 
sistant to the film director, is sent 
to round up the extras after the 
can. of filjn is lost enroute from 
studios to laboratories. One of 
them is George Baker, a struggling 
artist' who- has been doing crowd 
work to pay his way, and has been 
busy resisting th<* advances of 
Simone Simon, playing the star of 
the pic. Coincidence is stretched 
a little too far when, for a wager, 
he breaks into an empty house 
and finds himself in her bedroom. 
Then there is Sidney James, a 
tired pug, who has never won a 
fight and is due to meet a local 
champ when Basehart calls at his 
home. So the opponent has to be 
fixed not to disfigure James’ face, 

Josephine Griffin is a society 


deb turned extra to get away from 
the social round and is due to 
marry a famous crooner the next 
day. There is a remarkably in¬ 
volved and unreal stunt to stop 
the nuptials. Finally there are 
Olga Lindo and Philip Ray, two 
old timers who plan to retire, but 
find they’re unwelcome in' their 
daughter’s home. 

Although trimmed to a neat 83 
minutes, the story drags consid¬ 
erably. The principal players, 
Richard Basehart and Miss Simon, 
do well enough with inadequate 
material. In smaller parts, Charles 
Victor, as a van driver, and Jill 
Bennett, as the daughter who re¬ 
fuses to have her mother stay with 
her, give notable portrayals. Meier 
Tzelniker does a fine job as the 
crooner’s manager and Laurence 
Naismith is acceptable in the role 
of director. Dennis Lotis, a local 
recording*star, and Shani Wallis, a 
pop musicomedy singer, make their 
screen dehut as crooner and fan, 
respectively. Myro. 

Abdnlla the Great 

(ANGLO-EGYPTIAN—COLOR) 
Paris, March 27. 

Sonofilm release of Misr Universal 
Cairo-Sphinx Film production. Stars 
Gregory Ratoff, Kay Kendall; features, 
Sidney Chaplin, Alex D’Arcy, Marina 
Berti. Directed by Ratoff. Screenplay, 
Boris Ingster, George Saint George from 
ordinal story by Ismet Regeila; camera 
(Technicolor), Lee Cannes; editor, Mau¬ 
rice Rootes; music, Georges Auric. At 
Normandie, Paris. Ru nnin g time, 105 

Abduila .. Gregory Ratoff 

Bonnm . Kay Kendall 

AJuned .. Sidney Chaplin 

Marco ... Alex D’Arcy 

Aziza ... Marina Berti 


This film was made in Egypt 
using the regal palace and yacht 
for the main scenes. It points up 
the public disapproval of the abso¬ 
lute monarch Abdulla the Great. 
Set in an imaginary country for 
the screenplay, the parallel with 
the life of ex-King Farouk is at 
times apparent. Farouk’s threats to 
sue if the film is released have 
made for some interest here. How¬ 
ever, the film is heavily romanti¬ 
cized and melodramatic, making ' 
Abdulla’s fall one caused by his 
obsession for a girl rather than for 
political causes. 

Lacking much name value, this 
will have to be heavily sold in the 
U.S. Ratoff has imbued this with 
opulent backing and some cleverly 
mannered bits. As soon as his thick 
Russian accent can be accepted as 
that of the King of an obviously 
Arab state, the film settles down 
to depicting the peccadillos and 
whims of this degenerate poten¬ 
tate whose tastes run from poker, 
women, caviar and ostentation to 
American electric trains. Main 
dramatic thread is his love for a 
beauteous English model (Kay 
Kendall) who spurns him for one 
of his young revolutionary lieu¬ 
tenants (Sidney Chaplin). 

Abdulla kidnaps Miss Kendall 
but she still spurns him after he 
offers her fabulous treasures. The 
people and army rise up to oust 
him as he cavorts with a group of 
belly dancers, a la Nero, while his 
city burns. 

Platitudinous dialog and compli¬ 
cations do not help matters as the 
film vacillates between the comic 
and serious. The obvious story 
line, stilted direction and routine 
acting relegate this for exploita¬ 
tion playdates. Color is passable 
and general production dress good. 
Aside from the boistering antics 
of Ratoff, Miss Kendall, Chaplin 
and D’Arcy are only adequate in 
their roles although Miss Kendall’s 
looks help. A fine bit is done by 
Marina Berti as the only girl to 
ever really love the kingsize king. 

Mosk. 


‘Requiem For Redhead’ 

Continued from page 3 ^—^3 

novel and Richard Denning and 
Carole Mathews will atafc In the 
film. 

Aiming at four productions in 
1956, Amalgamated has acquired 
an original screenplay, “The 
Crooked Sky," by Lance Har¬ 
greaves and is negotiating for two 
other properties. The company so 
far has made no release arrange¬ 
ments In the U.S. for its pictures. 
It plans to seek major company 
distribution after the pictures are 
completed. 

Gordon, who represents foreign 
film producers, recently was in¬ 
volved In the German co-produc¬ 
tion of “The Devil’s General," Vet¬ 
ter, who owns Motion Picture 
Stages in N;Y., a commercial film 
firm, was associated in the co-pro- 
duction of the Wayne Morris star- 
rer, “The Dynamiters." 

































Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


'a&iety 


ED SULLIVAN, N.Y.DailyNew 




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18 


PICTURES 


J^Sriety 


Wednesday!, April 4, 1956 


Whats a US.’ Pic in Permit Setup? 
Company Prexies May Have to Decide 


It now looks as if one phase of ¥ 
the projected “master” formula' 
for the global division of permits 
may go to the company prexies for 
a decision. 

Distribs, after several meetings, 
have been unable to agree on a 
definition of the term “gross” in 
the computation of the basic for¬ 
mula. Specifically, there’s a differ¬ 
ence of opinion on what does or 
doesn't constitute an “American” 
picture within the formula frame¬ 
work. 

Example might be Warner Bros.’ 
“Moby Dick,” which is a British 
quota film, released by WB. When 
“Moby Dick” goes into France, it 
will go in under the British quota, 
giving WB an extra permit to im¬ 
port one of its own films. WB’s 
competitors are now asking: Should 
the grosses from “Moby Dick” be 
a determining factor in how many 
of the total licenses WB should get 
in France? Same problem arises 
with “War and Peace,” which 
Paramount says is a Par produc¬ 
tion while others see it as an Ital¬ 
ian film. Columbia, too, has a mul¬ 
titude of productions which it gives 
the Columbia tag, but which were 
actually made abroad and only fi- 
. nanced by Col. 

Under the formula, which in 
principle has been accepted by (he 
Motion Picture Export Assn, mem¬ 
ber companies, 36% of the avail¬ 
able licenses in any one territory 
are split evenly among 10 distribs. 

Of the rest, 32% is divided on the 
basis of local billings in the coun¬ 
try involved, and another .32% is 
figured via a combination of do¬ 
mestic gross and grosses in six key 
overseas markets, including'Brit¬ 
ain. 


Ancient History 

s Continued from page 3 ; 


but 


the brush from the critics 
clicking with the public? 

(3) Where is the point of di¬ 
minishing returns on features run¬ 
ning two and a half hours, and 
with several three-hour films due 
and one four-hour film promised 
(or threatened, depending upon the 
point of view). 

Robert Rossen’s production of 
“Alexander the Great,” just re¬ 
leased by United Artists, shapes as 
one of the top-money pictures of 
the year for that company on the 
basis of only a couple of dates. 
At the Capitol Theatre in New 
York the opening day’s take of 
$14,000, in the middle of Holy 
Week, exceeded the draw for “Not 
As a Stranger,” which was the 
biggest money-maker in UA his¬ 
tory. * . 

Meanwhile, the strongest pic¬ 
ture which RKO has had in years 
is “The Conqueror,” Dick Powell 
production given so-so reviews. 
The companys hail this one as a 
$6,000,000 epic, probably one-third 
exaggeration. But that’s beside the 
point. “Conqueror” in its first 90 
dates is garnering tremendous coin 
so while the investment in this 
John Wayne starrer is huge the 
first-run engagements alone indi¬ 
cate there will be a profit. For the 
present extent of the payoff draws 
a question mark, even RKO execs 
refraining from round-figure pre¬ 
dictions. But it’s for certain that, 
to date, the film has been blue 
chips. 

Warners’ current participant in 
the spec sweepstakes is “Helen of 
Troy,” and here again the critics 
did no handsprings in jubilation 
over artistic merits. But this re¬ 
lease has proved strictly a top- 
no cher. 

It should be noted that such pic¬ 
torial extravaganzas usually are 
very successful in the overseas 
market. The revenue from abroad 
fi equently equals, or even sur¬ 
passes, the domestic take. 

Paramount’s “Ulysses” is an¬ 
other recent example of how tick¬ 
et-buyers are veering toward film 
spectaculars. The notices anent 
this were hardly conducive toward 
business and some persons imme¬ 
diately associated with the picture 
had misgivings at the outset. But 
it grossed $2,500,000 in local dis¬ 
tribution income, which was far 
more than expected. 

Next “mighty” one on the Par 
agenda is “War and Peace,” set 
for release in the summer. Com¬ 
pany execs figure this can go as 
high as “Greatest Show on Earth ” 
or about $26,000,000 in global rent¬ 
als. 


Reagan, Aubrey Schenck 
Slap Kefauver’s Report 
As Politically-Timed 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Strong exception is being, regis¬ 
tered in the film industry over the 
Senate Juvenile Delinquency Sub¬ 
committee’s report, released last 
week in Washington, which criti¬ 
cized Hollywood for asserted sad¬ 
ism, brutality and violence on the 
screen. Sen. Estes Kefauver, mak¬ 
ing pitch for Presidential Demo¬ 
cratic nomination, is chairman of 
the Sub-Committee. 

Speaking for the Motion Picture 
Industry Council, which reps all 
guilds and crafts in Hollywood ex¬ 
cept Screen Directors’ Guild, prexy 
Ronald Reagan asserted: 

“The investigation and findings 
of the Committee was based on the 
testimony of a few prejudiced wit¬ 
nesses, who have a long record of 
seeking to impose thought control 
on the entire entertainment indus¬ 
try. 

“The timing of the Committee’s 
statement smacks very suspiciously 
of politics, coming as it does in the 
heat of the primary campaign.” 

Council is slated to take up the 
Sub-Committee report at this 
week’s meeting. 

United Artists exec producer 
Aubrey Schenck, whose Yilm, “Big 
House, U.S.A.,” was among those 
cited in the report as placing too 
much emphasis upon violence and 
crime, accused Sub-Committee of 
unjustly putting pressure and 
blame on the Hollywood film in¬ 
dustry. 

More stress, he said, should have 
been placed upon parental control 
over children susceptible to such 
films, adding: 

“The very fact that crime is vio¬ 
lent and brutal should be a de¬ 
terrent to crime.” “Big House,” he 
appended, was accepted in some of 
those areas where strict censor¬ 
ship is the rule. 


Quigley Vs. Lord 

- Continued from page 5 

ley’s. In fact, he gives him credit 
for the idea, but not for the execu¬ 
tion. 

Motion Picture Almanac, a Quig¬ 
ley publication, in its 1947-48 is¬ 
sue carries a brief history of the 
Code by the late film' historian, 
Terry Ramsaye, then editor of Mo¬ 
tion Picture Herald. This version 
sounds different again. 

‘Father Lord prepared a^ draft to 
which Mr. Quigley applied various 
contributions and modifications,” 
he wrote. The letter to America 
puts it exactly the other way 
’round. Also, in later editions of 
the Almanac, this part of the Ram¬ 
saye account is dropped. 

In his letter to America, Quig¬ 
ley says Lord’s contributions can’t 
be understated and were impor¬ 
tant. However, he writes: "I am 
sure that if Father Lord or a col¬ 
laborator whc/completed an auto¬ 
biography, perBjaps unfinished be¬ 
cause of the fatal malady (he died 
of cancer), had available the writ¬ 
ten record to refresh the memory, 
‘Played by Ear’ would have read 
somewhat differently.” 

" Friends of Father Lord’s, re¬ 
sponding to the book review of 
"Played by Ear” published by 
Variety (March 14) revealed that 
the priest originally hadn’t in¬ 
tended to include the chapter on 
the Code. “We begged him to put 
in the little chapter on the Code of 
Decency and he finally consented. 
We hoped that one day he would 
be vindicated,” wrote Mrs. Edward 
Porter of Atlanta. 

In his open letter, publisher 
Quigley says Joseph I. Breen, for¬ 
mer administrator' of the Code, 
knew of the Code project “shortly 
after it was originated by me” and 
“has published an account setting 
forth the facts accordingly.” In a 
piece of his own, Breen had writ¬ 
ten, cautiously, that he “had the 
impression” that Quigley sought 
the guidance of a trained moralist 
(i.e., Father Lord) to review the 
work done “and to collaborate on 
the writing of the final document.” 


UPSURGE OF ATTENTION 


Dailies 1956 Interest In Academy 
Awards the Greatest 


The film industry is heartened 
by the increased newspaper cover¬ 
age of the recent Academy Award 
ceremonies. Tearsheets coming ip 
from newspapers throughout the 
country reveal that almost double 
the space was given the Oscar 
story this year than in 1954. 

While unable to pinpoint the 
reason for the newspapers’ inter¬ 
est, some industryites feel it may 
be due to the offbeat winners se¬ 
lected this year. It’s pointed out, 
for example, that the selection of 
“Marty,” Ernest Borgnine, and 
Anna Magnani do pot represent 
the typical Hollywood glamour 
that some newspapers tend to 
shun. 


Anyone For Oscars? 

- - - Continued from page 3 - - ■- 

that exist among the various Coast 
colony elements. 

As for the distribs, it’s apparent, 
too, that the also-rans among them 


Oscar Stretches ‘Tattoo* 

San Francisco, April 3. 

Power of the Oscar was evi¬ 
denced at the Paramount here 
last week, which held over 
“The Rose Tattoo” for a fifth 
week, thereby breaking a nine- 
year record. 

Only four films—up to the 
current run—have played four 
weeks at this big Market Street 
house since Paramount took 
it over from Fox West Coast 
in April, 1947. 

The four were “The High 
and Mikhtv.” “Battle Cry,” 
“Country Girl” and “Emperor’s 
Waltz.” 

But gross of “The Rose Tat¬ 
too” jumped several thousand 
dollars in fourth frame over 
the third and, with trend con¬ 
tinuing .strong, Manager Earl 
Long figures a fifth week was 
in order. 


wouldn’t be keep on bankrolling a 
tv airer focusing on “Marty.” 

The answer to this lies in a new 
approach—that of agreement on 
presenting the Oscar excursion a 
year in advance. Thus, all com¬ 
panies would be on an equal com¬ 
petitive footing at the outset. At 
least, this is the idea now being 
talked up. 

Importantly, the distribs have 
shown ' inclination toward unity 
with many projects in past. They’ve 
been together on support of the 
Council of Motion Picture Organi- 


Follow Through 

The payoff from last year’s 
Oscars is an accomplished fact. 
As Grace Kelly and William 
Holden were the winners, Par¬ 
amount rushed to market with 
three pictures in which one or 
the other starred—“Stalag 17,” 
"Rear Window” and "Sabrina.” 
Exhibs were asked to select 
two to run as a package at 
terms of 30% and 35%. 

Par picked up slightly over 
$1,000,000 in domestic rentals. 


zations, arbitration, foreign trade, 
etc. 

It follows that they could join 
forces on the Oscar outing. They’re 
partners ^with the studios, of 
course, but physically closer to 
that all-important theatre boxoffice 
where the Acad Award benefits 
accrue. 


Mont*! House Revamps 
For ‘Oklahoma* Preem 

Montreal, April 3. 

With a possible mid-April open¬ 
ing set, Consolidated .Theatres is 
revamping one of its deluxers, the 
Aiouette, in preparation for the 
first Canadian showing of “Okla¬ 
homa” via the Todd-AO system. 
The Alouette, which has been run¬ 
ning French films exclusively for 
past two or three years, will revert 
to a reserved seat policy for dura¬ 
tion of run, offering 16 perform¬ 
ances a week with the top scaled to 
$2.25 to $2.50. 

House is ideal for this particular 
system as it has no balcony and 
when final renovations are com¬ 
pleted, will have a seating capacity 
of about 1,200. 


The Kelly 

Continued from page 5 ■ 
dental the Princess Ghislaine was 
also an actress at one time.) 

The snobs in Europe, and the 
society columnists in America, 
have concentrated upon the social 
standing not of the actress’ clan 
but of the prince’s family, the 
Grimaldis who are not top-drawer 
royalty but only “Serene High¬ 
nesses.” 

It is believed that the bridal pair 
had expected Princess Margaret or 
her cousin Princess Alexandra 
might attend for British royalty. 
Not so. The British consul-general 
in Nice seems to be all the British 
rank that will be around. There 
will be British warships, -also 
French and American on hand. 

The revival of interest in royalty 
is not without its subtle political 
aspects in a Europe haunted by 
fear of the Reds. The Catholic 
nature 1 of the- wedding' and the 
stagemanagement of the romance 
by an American priest, Father 
Tucker, has also attracted specula¬ 
tive comment. 

Meanwhile the guess is that the 
Royal Family of Denmark, for ex¬ 
ample, would snub nobody but 
snobs. Present king’s father, Chris-» 
tian X, often visited Monte Carlo 
and knew the Grimaldis well. 
Present Frederick IX is also ac¬ 
quainted. Danes think Prince 
Rainier and Princess Grace would 
be welcomed in Copenhagen, and 
the king’s fondness for rowing 
would he a bond with Jack Kelly 
I and Jack, Kelly II. 

The French nation has been 
devouring details of the romance 
and its weekly illustrated weekly 
Match is commonly credited with 
making the match. A German 
weekly crowed about its beat in 
interviewing surviving relatives in 
Heppenheim, Germany, from 
whence came the bride-to-be-’s 
maternal grandmother. Actor John 
Wayne’s recent crack about Monte 
Carlo now being Kellyville has 
been widely quoted in Europe. 
There is widespread interest in the 
European countries with respect 
to the “housekeeping chores” 
which are transforming the Gri¬ 
maldi palace and Monte Carlo for 
the occasion. 

It’s expected that the museum 
sections of the palace must be used* 
to house the Kellys. Latter, with 
the bride and other guests, arrive 
in Monaco by yacht. 


100 Fiddle Jig 

■ —- Continued from page 5 , ,, 
lin has created a new ballet with 
music by Stan Kenton. Ballet de¬ 
buts April 17 with a special per¬ 
formance in the courtyard of the 
palace for the prince and bis 
guests, followed the next day by a 
grand gala in the Monte Carlo 
Opera House and a big open air 
gala staged at the football stadium 
adjoining the* port, under the wing 
of the prince’s palace. Guesting 
with the Festival Ballet will be 
Dame Margot Fonteyn from Lon¬ 
don and Yvette- Chauvire from the 
Paris Opera. 

Also to be held in the football 
stadium is a gigantic folklore pres¬ 
entation with 15 European nations 
taking, part and grouping at least 
2,000 singers, dancers, etc. The or¬ 
ganize^ of this is Dutchman Carol 
Briels who has staged similar 
shows around Europe. 

Prince Rainier has 'granted a 
concession to a special company, 
C.I.T.A.I., to film the wedding cere¬ 
monies and parties in colpr for 
subsequent commercial bookings 
around the world. 

All the hotels owned by the So- 
ciete des Bains de Mer (whose 
chief shareholder is the wealthy 
Greek Aristotle Onassis), the Hotel 
de Paris, Nouvel Hotel de Paris, 
Hotel Hermitage (the Kelly and 
Rainier guests are all reserved in 
these hotels but place has been 
found for the rich regulars to look 
on), are booked to overflowing. In 
addition the Onassis company has 
opened their summer hotels, the 
New Beach Hotel and the Old 
Beach Hotel. All of these hotels 
are usually in the $6 to $20 a room 
plus service - ' price brackets. 

In the port of Monaco the prob¬ 
lem is much the same because 
practically every luxury yacht 
owner is looking for a mooring in 
Monte Carlo and so in addition 
to the huge yacht “Christina” of 
Aristotle Onassis, the two yachts of 
Prince Rainier, the many privately 
owned yachts already* moored 
there, demands coming from all 
over the other French and Italian 
Riviera ports cannot be satisfied. 


N.Y. Publicists Dicker 
Broken as Bosses Take 
Powder on ‘Pressure’ 

Negotiations between the N. Y. 
Screen Publicists Guild and four 
film companies broke up on a sour 
note yesterday (Tues.). The film 
company reps walked out of the 
meeting when a two-man delega¬ 
tion from the SPG (not members 
of the negotiating committee) in¬ 
vaded the meeting room at War¬ 
ner Bros, homeo^ice to demand an 
answer to the union’s contract re¬ 
quests. 

The unauthorized action caught 
the SPG conferees by surprise. As 
a. show of strength, SPGites had 
gathered outside of the Warner 
building for an open air meeting 
while the talks were taking place 
upstairs. Receiving no word from 
the session for over two hours, the 
rank-and-filers, without consulting 
their leaders, took it upon them¬ 
selves to send two men upstairs to 
find out what progress was being 
made. The move, regarded as a 
pressure tactic by the film compa¬ 
nies, angered the reps and they 
walked out of the meeting in a 
huff. 

SPG leaders, caught completely 
off guard, were working feverishly 
late yesterday to repair the dam¬ 
age. They are attempting to set 
up seperate meetings with War¬ 
ners and Columbia since the con¬ 
tracts with the two companies ex¬ 
pired Monday (2). Previous to the 
invasion of the unauthorized-dele¬ 
gation, the SPG negotiators failed 
to convince the film companies to 
change their counter offer. 

Previously, the SPG, currently 
negotiating for a new contract with 
Warner Bros., Universal, 20th-Fox, 
and Columbia, organized a strike- 
and-strategy committee. Unit, head¬ 
ed by Sheldon Raskin, was formed 
following a turndown of the SPG’s 
demands by the four companies fol¬ 
lowing a three and a half-hour bar¬ 
gaining session last week. 

The film companies last week 
made a. counter offer to the SPG’s 
basic demands. They offered the 
pub-ad staffers a $5 across-the- 
board increase and a three-week 
vacation after 15 years of service. 
The union had asked for a 15% 
general wage increase (including 
certain fringe benefits) and a 
three-week vacation after five 
years. 

A union spokesman termed the 
companies’ offer as unacceptable 
since it represented an average in¬ 
crease of only 3%. 

The film companies’ negotiation 
team consists of Jack Lang, 20th- 
Fox; Anthony Petti, ' U; Larry 
Lashansky, WB; and Henry Kauf¬ 
man, Col. The SPG is repre¬ 
sented by business agent Ben Ber¬ 
man, prexy Harry Hochfeld, Veepee 
Harold Siegel, and secretary Mar¬ 
tin Blau. 


Admish Tax 

■ i Continued from pa«e 1 

claimed, the constituents express 
themselves for reduction of the 
unwieldy national debt. 

Feeling here is that if that gen¬ 
eral attitude is to be combatted, 
cabaret and hotel interests, legit, 
and concert entrepreneurs, and 
film company reps must produce 
the kind .of grassroots drive that 
resulted in slashing the admissions 
tax from 20% to 10%. 

An examination of the mall from 
Congressmen to the concert and 
legit tax elimination committees 
shows many in favor of removing 
the levy and pledging help toward 
that goal. But some letters are 
non-committal. 


Plnanski’s Optimism on Tax End 

Film industry stands an “excel¬ 
lent chance” of obtaining elimina¬ 
tion of the 10% Federal admissions 
tax, according to Sam Pinanski, oo- 
chairman of the Council of Motion 
Picture Organizations, which is con¬ 
ducting the drive for repeal of the 
levy. 

Pinanski, who’s also a Boston cir¬ 
cuit operator, qualified his enthu¬ 
siasm with the admonition that the 
prospects of victory are “excellent” 
on condition that all industry ele¬ 
ments maintain contacts with law¬ 
makers and stress upon them the 
need for relief from the tax. 

In New York Monday (2) after 
several days in Washington, the 
exec stated he had talked with 
capitol hill officials and “I was 
enormously encouraged by the 
friendly attitude which they showed 
toward our industry and its prob¬ 
lems.” 


Wednesday, April 4 , 1956 


19 


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to 


PICTURES 


M&SETf 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Col’s Circusy Cross-Country Bus Trek 
With Tali’ Shows Heavy Payoff 


Hollywood, April 3. 

Columbia’s current cross-country 
bus junket with the "giant” of 
"The Harder They Fall” may cue 
the return of circus ballyhoo for 
a picture. Stunt has already paid 
cff in heavy newspaper space and 
attention in the 25 cities visited to 
date, and what originally was to 
have been a 20-city tour, has now 
been extended to 50. 

Country is wide open for this 
type of promotion, "when a studio 
really has something to sell,” ac¬ 
cording to Columbia flack Bob 
Yeager, just returned from accom¬ 
panying Mike Lane, the giant fight¬ 
er in picture, on first half of the 
tour. "We found excitement wher¬ 
ever we went, newspapers and 
other mediums waiting to cooper¬ 
ate with us. In addition to having 
a topflight picture, we had a prom¬ 
ising unknown actor to talk about.” 

Tour has also been benefitting 
by the boxing scandals that have 
been hitting front pages nationally, 
the publicist pointed out. Film, 
based on Budd Schulberg’s novel 
and starring Humphrey Bogart, is 
an expose of the prizefight racket. 

Party, consisting of Lane—who 
is *Texas State wrestling champ— 
Yeager and driver Fred Haines 


left Hollywood Jan. 30 and headed 
east, making Phoenix the first 
stopover. Tour was preceded a 
day ahead by advance man Dave 
Lustig, of company’s N.Y. office. 

In each city, Lane visited sports 
and drama editors for interviews, 
and also talked with feature writ¬ 
ers, He made tv and radio appear¬ 
ances, and in towns where there 
was wrestling appeared as honor¬ 
ary referee. Party also parked out¬ 
side high schools at end of the 
school day, with Lane talking to 
students about the picture, Thea¬ 
tre exhibs have praised the tour 
highly. 

In New Orleans, at the Fair 
Grounds race track, Lane pre¬ 
sented winning jockey of the fea¬ 
ture race a bouquet of flowers 
before 10,000 spectators. In Okla-v 
homa City, he was greeted by Gov. 
Raymond Gary before a large 
crowd. 

Junket will continue until May, 
when Lane will have visited 50 
cities in all parts of the country. 
Yeager’s place was taken in Phila¬ 
delphia by a flack in Col’s N.Y. 
office, to permit him to return to 
studio, and tour will continue 
along the same routine followed on 
trip east. 


LOVI THAT CRITIC 


Industry Halls Ward Marsh at 
Cleveland Fete April 9 


Cleveland, April 3. 

Showmen in Cleveland as well as 
national film industry are saluting 
W. Ward Marsh, vet film critic of 
Cleveland Plain Dealer, at a testi¬ 
monial banquet for him at Hotel 
Carter’s Rainbow Room April 9. 

George Murphy, Metro’s roam¬ 
ing general public relations front- 
er, will be toastmaster of the $ 15- 
pre-plate dinner in observance of 
Marsh’s 40th anniversary in news-, 
paper biz. Officially rated as dean 
of country’s film critics in years 
of continuous service, he just re¬ 
turned from a three weeks’ news¬ 
hunting trip to Hollywood where 
he is intimately known by studio 
brass. 

A large contingent of Hollywood 
and Broadway execs is expected 
according to heavy reservations al¬ 
ready received by co-chairmen 
Frank Murphy, Loew’s division 
manager, and Jack Silverthorne, 
Hippodrome’s supervisor. Close co 
100 Cleveland exhibitors, distrib¬ 
utors and circuit owners will also 
attend the testimonial shindig 
along with Governor Frank 
LaUsche and Mayor Anthony Cele- 
breze. 


Bennie Berger, president of 
North Central Allied of Minne¬ 
apolis speaks Wed. (4) before 
Michigan Allied meeting. 


Aver Exhibs 'Disinterested’ 

In Special Children s Matinees 


Rachmill Scouts Bryan 
Air Field for Columbia 

Bryan, Tex., April 3. 

Columbia Pictures may' film a 
major motion pic here at Bryan 
Air Force Base, it was disclosed 
here by Louis Rachmill, producer. 
Rachmill and a party from Holly¬ 
wood were here to confer with 
Col. James A, Gunn, base com¬ 
mander; I. N.- Kelley, prez of the 
Chamber of Commerce; Travis 
Bryan, banker, and others. 

Producer declared that Washing¬ 
ton .officials had recommended the 
local” base as best locale for an 
unnamed story about an Air Force 
major. 

If the film Is made here, Colum¬ 
bia will bring in a party of 120 
players and technicians. 

Last feature film shot locally was 
Walter Wanger's Universal produc¬ 
tion, "We’ve Never Been-Licked,” 
released in 1943. (Later shown in 
Europe as "Texas to Tokyo,” this 
latter film was re-released in U. S. 
last year as "Flight Command.”). 



Official oscar awarded by 
The Motion Picture Academy 
to Anna Maptani — 

“Best Actress'* of 1955 


\ 


parade picks a winner... 

and scores another news beat! In the March 18th issue, Lloyd Shearer/Parade’s 
West Coast correspondent, named Anna Magnani as the probable winner of the 
"Best Actress” award.. 

Spotting her weeks ago as a good bet to cop the award, - 
Shearer arranged a plane trip to Rome for a personal inter-; 
view. Then, on Sunday, March 18th—just three days before the.’ 

Awards—Anna Magnani’s picture appeared on Parade’s cover; 

with Shearer’s exclusive story as the lead feature. 

» .jr" 

This exciting scoop is another example of Parade’s 
detailed coverage of Hollywood—and the fascinat-' 
ing people who make up this fabled city. 




. . . The Sunday magazine section of more than 50 leading 
newspapers, covering some 2660 markets .. . 
with more than fifteen million readers every week. 


+ Distribution executives, blamed 
for the unavailabity of features 
with juvenile appeal for children's 
matinees, say the fault doesn’t lie 
with thpm but but with the ex¬ 
hibitors who, basically, aren’t in¬ 
terested in specific moves to de¬ 
velop the young audience. 

Latest such distrib expression 
comes from 20th-Fox in a letter 
written by prexy Spyros P. Skouras 
to the'Independent Theatre Own¬ 
ers of Ohio which protested, to all 
companies, the lack of features for ‘ 
the Motion Picture Assn, of Amer¬ 
ica’s Children’s Film Library. 

In reply, Skouras wrote that 
20 th had a sympathetic attitude 
"toward this important instrument 
of public relations” and he added: 
"We have been disappointed from 
time to time, that exhibitors in 
general, have not made the best 
use of these facilities, and if this 
project seems to have deteriorated, 

I am afraid that some of it is due 
to this lack of interest.” 

Other distribution spokesmen 
take a similar view, arguing that 
if the theatres were to show a 
more pronounced interest in book¬ 
ing product for children’s shows, 
the prints would be made avail¬ 
able. The distrib outfits have 
pledged, renewed support to the 
Film Library, and some of the 
"classic” children’s pix are being 
restored to the branches. There 
had come a point where practically 
none of the old favorites—"Tom 
Sawyer,” "National Velvet,” "Bis¬ 
cuit Eater,” etc.—were any longer 
available, the prints having worn 
©ut. 

The individual companies are 
aware of the need to draw the 
kiddie audience back to the b.o. 
and from the tv sets, Columbia, 
for instance, recently offered a fea- 
ture-and-cartoons package to thea¬ 
tres in the Cleveland area for $15. 

One of the problems is that an 
increasing number of films are in 
color/ and that it takes a long time 
before the cost of color prints can 
be recouped on a limited use basis. 

If producers make features of very 
specific appeal to youngsters, they 
then have the problem of a proper 
playoff since the evening business • 
is necessarily spotty. It’s noted that 
even the westerns, which at one 
time were tailored to the juvenile 
mentality, i.e. without romantic 
frills, today are mostly elaborate 
and full of the kind of love angles 
("Tall Men,” "Indian Fighter”) 
which the juve set used to disdain. 


Boys in Chariot Races 
And Turkish Towel Togas 
Part of 'Alex’ Ballyhoo 

Atlanta, April 3. 

This town Friday was over-run 
with ancient Greeks. Everywhere 
one turned he was apt to see Hel¬ 
lenes, large and small, dashing 
madly hither and yon, some bear¬ 
ing gifts, other dragging chariots 
at breakneck speed through Atlan¬ 
ta's downtown streets. 

Closer observation of the garb 
worn by these Greeks revealed 
that across their huck towel cos¬ 
tuming, front and back, was sten¬ 
cilled the legend: "Alexander The 
Great.” 

That, of course, w^s the tipoff 
that the Robert Rossen production, 
released by United Artists, was 
opening at Loew’s Grand Theatre 
Friday (March 30). 

Here for the Southern premiere 
were BUI Gandall ^nd Robert 
Sandbach, special UA exploiteers, 
and they were busy as Tiees work¬ 
ing out stunts to attract attention 
to "Alexander.” They worked hand 
in glove with Boyd Fry, Loew’s 
manager. For -the more dignified 
publicity approach, they had David 
Ffolkes, who designed the cos¬ 
tumes for "Alex,” and they got 
him 17 radio interviews and placed 
him on Atlanta’s three television 
stations in addition to space they 
got in local press. Ffolkes proved 
to be good copy. 

VT. THEATRE BURNED DOWN 

Winooski, Vt., April 3. 

The 400-seat Strand Theatre,and 
two other business establishments 
have been destroyed by a fire in 
the heart of the business section 
here, with total loss estimated at 
$65,000. 

One source set' the value of the 
theatre building at $20,000 to $30,- 
000 and its contents at $15,000. 








Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


PfiRlEff 


21 


WHEN IT COMES TO BEASTS 

!-! We Got ’em !! 

THE KING OF THE MONSTERS 

“GODZILLA 

The Mightiest of them all 


A MONSTER CAMPAIGN THROUGHOUT NEW ENGLAND 

to launch this 

MIGHTIEST of the MIGHTY 

400 TOP THEATRES 

, Extended Playing Time Everywhere!! 

150 THEATRES DAY and DATE MAY 2nd (a record) 
MIGHTY SATURATION ON TELEVISION AND RADIO 

BOSTON • PROVIDENCE © NEW HAVEN © BANGOR • PORTLAND • HARTFORD 
IVIT. MANSFIELD • MT. WASHINGTON © SPRINGFIELD 

AND THE FULL YANKEE RADIO NETWORK 


COLOR ADS and a BLASTING NEWSPAPER CAMPAIGN 

9 

Under the Direction of 

TERRY TURNER 

Who With His Hollywood Colleague 

DON THOMPSON 

have handled a hundred pictures, among which were 

"KING KONG" (RKO), "BEAST FROM 20,000 FATHOMS" (Warners), "WAR OF THE WORLDS" (Paramount), "THE CONQUEROR" (RKO) 


and TERRY says: 

Dear Joe— 

"I think 'Godzilla 1 tops any monster picture we have ever handled. Don s 
TV and radio spots will be the best he has ever made because this baby 
really breathes fire. Why gents, one short snort from this monster and 
'poof there goes another city." 


JOE LEVINE 

Embassy Pictures Corp. 

19 Winchester St. 

Boston, Mass. 






24 


It ABIO-TELE VISION 


P^RIETT 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


SENATE PROBE OF TV MOVING INTO 
HIGH WITH ACCENT ON NETWORKS 

4-;--- 


NBC-TV’s Sat. Nite Powerhouse 

Sid Caesar will shift to Saturday nights in the fall as the ful¬ 
crum of an NBC “power play” that will see two and a half solid 
hour-s of come'dy arrayed against the CBS opposition.. Caesar will 
follow Perry Como’s 8 p.m. hour with his comedy display at 9 
to 10, with George Gobel completing the lineup from 10 to 10:30. 

Time will open up since “People Are Funny” is slated to move 
and the Jimmy Durante show has been cancelled. As to Monday 
night replacements for Caesar, NBC-TV has set Ernie Kovaks in 
a half-hour summer replacement format, but the other half-hour 
is still open and no plans have been cemented for permanent 
programming in the 8-9 period for the fall. 

Move puts Caesar back into his original tv time period, since 
he started on “Your Show of Shows” in the 9-10:30 Saturday spot. 

Westinghouses $10,(MO,000 For 

Radio-TV in Post-Strike Campaign 

- ♦ 


Washington, April 3. 
Triggered by Dick Moore’s high¬ 
ly articulate testimony last week 
on network practices, the Senate 
Interstate Commerce Committee 
inquiry into tv problems is now 
rolling along in high gear. The 
impact of the KTTV, Los Angeles, 
prexy’s blast against time option 
and “must buy agreements will 
surtly bring strong repercussions. 

Principal effect of Moore’s tes¬ 
timony will be on the probe itself; 
It is almost certain that the net¬ 
work phase of the inquiry, which 
resumes next month, will be con¬ 
siderably broadened. It can be ex¬ 
pected that independent tv film 
producers will testify, as recom¬ 
mended by Moore, on difficulties 
in clearing time for their programs. 
There may also be testimony from 
advertisers along the same line. 

A corollary effect of the testi¬ 
mony may be to expedite anti¬ 
trust action by the Department of 
Justice which has been consider¬ 
ing such a move for some time. 
Assistant Atty. Gen. Stanley Barnes 
indicated late in February in testi¬ 
mony before the Committee that 
the Department may assert juris¬ 
diction in the broadcasting Indus-, 
try independently of the FCC. 
it’s understood, has been referred 
Transcript of Moore’s testimony, 
to Barnes. 

Significance is also attached to 
the reaction of certain Senators 
who were present when Moore tes¬ 
tified. Sen. John W. Bricker (R-O), 
ranking Republican member of the 
Committee and sponsor of a bill 
to regulate the webs, expressed 
Btrong feelings against the net¬ 
works. So did Sen. Charles Potter 
(R.-Mich.), who was chairman of 
the subcommittee which studied 
UHF problems in 1954. 

There is a good possibility that 
the Committee’s inquiry may 
arouse the FCC into action on the 
network front before the comple¬ 
tion of its comprehensive study of 
tv industry operations. When the 
Committee completes its network 
testimony, it might well issue an 
interim report which could have 
this effect. With Bricker and Pot¬ 
ter sounding o as they did during 
Moore’s appearance, such a report 
can be expected to contain strong 
language. 

With the allocation phase of its 
inquiry about concluded, the Com¬ 
mittee will next turn to subscrip¬ 
tion tv. Hearings on this phase 
begin April 23 and will probably 
Include testimony from the major 
developers—Zenith, Telemeter and 
Skiatron—and the principal opposi¬ 
tion—networks, NARTB and the 
exhibitors. Much of the testimony 
will likely be a repetition of what 
has been given to the FCC but 
there may be something new in the 
light of Comr. Robert E. Lee’s pitch 
(in Look Magazine and before the 
Committee) for subscription tv to 
help marginal stations. It’s. prob¬ 
able that as a resit of this phase 
of the inquiry the Committee will 
call on the FCC for its opinion on 
the question of the legality of pay 
tv. 

How long the inquiry will con¬ 
tinue will probably depend on sub¬ 
sequent testimony. It’s likely that 
the network phase will extend into 
June. It may go on longer. j 

WHABKAMTV) 
Brings $5,01)0,000 

Stromberg-Carlson this week 
sold its WHAM and WHAM-TV 
in Rochester to the recently- 
formed Transcontinent Television 
Corp. for $5,000,000. Changeover 
of the powerful NBC affiliates is 
subject to FCC approval. 

Transcontinent, headed by Buf¬ 
falo financier Paul A. Schoelkopf 
Jr. as board chairman and David 
C. Moore as prez, intends no staff 
changes in the Bill Fay-topped 
outlets. In with Transcontinent on 
the purchase was the General Rail¬ 
way Signal Co. of Rochester. 
Transcontinent was formed last 
>fall with the announced purpose of 
acquiring and operating radio and 
television stations; this is its first 
major acquisition. WHAM-TV, 
which went on the air in 1949, has 
been one of the more prosperous 
pre-freeze VHF operations. 


Just Plain Bill 

Sonny Fox has been tapped 
to emcee the Revlon-spon¬ 
sored “Big Challenge” series 
which starts on CBS-TV Sun¬ 
day (8) in place of “Ap¬ 
pointment With Adventure.” 
There’s a change of billing in 
Fox’s status: he'll be billed on 
the show as Bill Fox. He’s 
been known as “Sonny” since 
coming to the web a year ago 
from KETC, St. Louis, to host 
“Let’s Take a Trip.” 

Fox continues on “Trip,” 
but whether under the name 
of Sonny or Bill isn’t known 
yet. 

No Buick-Texaco Sharing 
On Gleason; Show Will 
Retain Half-Hour Format 

There won’t be any uniting of 
Buick and Texaco (both out of the 
Kudner ad shop) for a co-sponsor¬ 
ship deal of a full hour of Jackie 
Gleason next season. For one thing 
Gleason is standing pat on his cur¬ 
rent half-hour format, and Buick, 
happy with the rating returns since 
the comic moved into the 8 o’clock 
Saturday period, wants to leave 
well enough alone. Gleason’s writ¬ 
ers were back at their typewriters 
this week, ready to resume script¬ 
ing, after a several-week , hiatus, 
with orders from Gleason to “keep 
it 30 minutes.” 

In the wake of the Texaco can¬ 
cellation of Jimmy Durante upon 
expiration of the current season, 
and the forfeiture of the NBC time 
period, CBS had made overtures 
to the Kudner agency < to tie the 
two clients together for a 60-min- 
ute Gleason spread. In turning 
down CBS, Kudner agency indi¬ 
cated that Texaco may forego a 
new show in the fall and instead 
augment its spot campaign. 

Durante and Texaco decided to 
call it quits after the comic re¬ 
jected the client’s demand for more 
live and less film shows. This 
year’s pact called for an equal num¬ 
ber but Durante yielded to spon¬ 
sor’s request to do 19 live, 11 on 
film. Weekly tab to Texaco, in¬ 
cluding time, is $110,000. Durante 
recently told Myron Kirk, tv head 
of Kudner, that he wouldn’t dupli¬ 
cate this year’s 30 shows because 
of over-exposure and “live shows 
go down the drain. I have nothing 
to show for them.” 


CBS-TV UPS ED SAXE 
AS FALKN0R RETIRES 

That CBS-TV administrative 
shuffle incepted a few weeks back 
when Merle Jones was appointed 
executive vice-president, along 
with program chieftain Hubbell 
Robinson, Jr., continues apace with 
the elevation last week of Edward 
L. Saxe to the post of veepee in 
charge of operations for the tv net¬ 
work. 

Saxe, who has been v.p. and as¬ 
sistant to tv prexy Jack L. Van 
Volkenburg, replaces Frank Fal- 
knor. Latter is retiring but will 
continue to serve the 'network on 
a consultancy basis. 


Spiritual Format Bids 
For Hefty Negro Aud 

Since Morris Novik bought out 
WOV several months ago, the 
N. Y, radio indie with a corner on 
the Italo market has been intensi¬ 
fying its ayem evening drive for a 
heftier share of the Negro popu- j 
lace. -Active WOV topper Ralph J 
Weil has changed the 6 to 9:30 
ayem and 8 4 >-m. to 3 ayem blocks 
into virtually solid rhythm & blues 
and spiritual on the assumption 
these are the hottest audio attrac¬ 
tions for the burgeoning Gotham 
sepia market. 

Novik picked up his radio 
philosphy in great part from 
WLIB, one of the two major rivals 
for the Negro listenership in N. Y., 
which is run by his brother, Harry. 
WOV’s format of a year ago in¬ 
cluded a wide variety of musical 
selections as well as a white disk 
jock during the Negro times, but 
the plan didn’t make the station 
a threat in the Negro radio sweep- 
stakes. 

The morning sked began and still 
begins with Thermon Ruth’s spirit¬ 
ual record session, 6 to 7 ayem; in 
the next two hours there’s music 
and news and from 9 to 9:30, when 
the Italian-language stuff kicks off, 
Hilda Simms does a femme gab 
stand. The nighttime is intensive 
programming stuff, with Ruth do¬ 
ing an 8 to 10 “Gospel Way” where 
there was general music before. 
From 10 to midnight. Jocko Hen¬ 
derson holds forth with solid r&b. 
Until 3 ayem, it’s more r&b, with a 
little other material interspersed, 
on “Life Begins at Midnight.” 

Competitors WLIB and WWRL 
don't beam regulariy to the Negro 
groups of N. Y. in the evening, and 
WOV has determined via an Ad- 
vertest special survey that Negro 
radio homes, which listen more 
heavily to radio than other groups 
as it is, give a pretty hefty share 
of their attention to audio. . 

CBS Seeks Ed Wynn 
For Summer TV Show 

Ed Wynn huddled in New York 
with CBS-TV program execs last 
week, out of which may come a 
Wynn summertime entry. Network 
wants the vet comedian to do a 
magic show as a half-hour night¬ 
time summer replacement entry. 
Paul Tripp, it’s recalled, had a sim¬ 
ilar program on the network last 
summer. 

A couple of years back both 
CBS and Wynn were tinkering 
with the idea of doing a daytime 
cross-the-board magic show, but 
nothing came of it. 


Steve Allen to Hit Road 

Fort Worth, April 3. 

Definite Texas dates have been 
announced for the appearance of 
Steve Allen and his “Tonight” 
show. His first NBC-TV telecast 
will originate from Houston on 
April 20. He will also appear the 
following day in a big Houston 
Shrine benefit show. 

Second telecast will originate 
here from the Will Rogers Audi¬ 
torium on Monday (23) 


Simmons & Lear Exit As 
Martha Raye’s Scripters 

Martha Raye and writers Ed 
Simmons and Norman Lear have 
split and comedienne is shopping 
for individual scripts on the open 
market until status of the show is 
set. It has been reported that 
Miss Raye would be looking into 
the possibility of doing a revue 
type of show. 

Simmons & Lear stated~they re¬ 
quested the release in order to de¬ 
vote full time to certain NBC-TV 
projects now in preparation for 
filming by the network this sum¬ 
mer in Hollywood. 


’Disneyland.’ 'Mickey' 
$19,000,000 Biz But 
Still Lotsa Aft. Slots 

Walt Disney provided ABC-TV 
with $19,000,000 in renewals of 
sponsors on “Disneyland” and 
“Mickey Mouse Club,” but left the 
network with a major selling job 
on the latter in the form of at 
least eight quarter-hours that must 
be sold to bring the daytimer up 
to capacity. In announcing the 
renewed business on “Mickey,” the 
web named ’seven returnees, with 
a check indicating that nine pres¬ 
ent sponsors occupying eight quar¬ 
ter-hours won’t be back next fall. 

As to “Disneyland” itself, how¬ 
ever, it’s a business-as-usual propo¬ 
sition—about $10,000,000 worth in 
time and program charges, since 
the new contracts run 65 weeks, 
from July to the following Septem¬ 
ber, instead of the normal 52— 
with American Motors back for a 
half-hour every-week exposure and 
American Dairy Assn, and Derby 
Foods sharing the other half on a 
skip-a-week basis. It’s the' third 
year for all the bankrollers, de¬ 
spite a substantial hike in the pro¬ 
gram charges. 

Similar hike in “Mickey,” how¬ 
ever, didn’t work out so well. Re¬ 
turning to the fold are seven cur¬ 
rent sponsors occupying 12 quar¬ 
ter-hours (though there may be 
some cutbacks). These are Armour 
& Co., Bristol-Myers, Carnation 
Milk, Coca-Cola, General Mills, 
Mattel Inc. and S.O.S. 

Out of the picture at this time 
are Campbell Soups, Vick Chemi¬ 
cal; TV Time Popcorn, Morton 
Salts, Johnson’s Wax, Minnesota 
Mining & Mfg., Mars Inc. and 
Lettuce Inc. 

Even with only a three-fifths- 
sold status, “Mickey” is providing 
a healthy $9,000,000 status. A 
sellout would probably provide 
over $20,000,000, since the present 
clients include multiple-segment 
sponsors with heavy discounts, 
while probable sales would go to 
single-segment bankrollers with 
smaller discount setups. In all with 
a “Mickey” sellout, Disney would 
be providing the framework for 
some $30,000,000 time & talent bill¬ 
ings for the web. 


Merkle to ABC-TV 

Joseph L. Merkle, former direc¬ 
tor of station relations for the 
DuMont web and latterly general 
manager of WTCN-AM & TV in 
Minneapolis, joined ABC-TV this 
week as a regional manager in the 
station relations department. He’ll 
cover the 14 western states plus 
Alaska and Hawaii. 

New post also marks a return 
for him to ABC-TV. He was a re¬ 
gional manager of station relations 
at the web for four years between 
1950 and 1954, 


With its 156-day strike a thing 
of the past, Westinghouse is lining 
up its biggest advertising-promo¬ 
tion campaign for consumer goods 
in its history, a campaign that in¬ 
cludes a $10,000,000 outlay in radio 
and television. Chris J. Witting, 
Westinghouse v.p. and general man¬ 
ager ©f the consumer products di¬ 
vision, told a press conference at 
“21” in N. Y. Monday (2) that the 
drive, which includes the already- 
set political conventions on CBS 
and the current “Studio One” but 
which will add Intensive spot cam¬ 
paigns on radio and tv, is'aimed 
at building a $1,000,000,000 annual 
sales Volume in consumer goods 
and putting Westinghouse out in 
front In every consumer product 
field. 

Campaign, pegged to v a “Watch 
Westinghouse” slogan and aimed 
more at a “sell” conception than a 
“public relations” angle, begins 
with newspapers and then runs into 
a saturation radio spot campaign 
starting in May. The radio cam¬ 
paign, a “pre-sell” for new prod¬ 
ucts as they come rolling off the 
production line, will use as many 
as 100 spots a week on as many 
as 150 stations over a two-week 
period and may be extended be¬ 
yond that if results warrant. A 
video spot campaign, also out of 
the McCann-Erickson stable, is cur¬ 
rently in the works but details 
haven’t been finalized. Both these 
efforts will supplement a new line 
of "Studio One” pitches plus 
th6 conventions-election coverage. 
Spots will be tied to the local 
dealers in the markets covered. 

Westinghouse execs emphasized 
that the strike, while halting pro¬ 
duction, gave the company a chance 
for extended planning, design and 
retooling, and that it will’ bring 
out new product lines in many 
fields. Emphasis of the ad cam¬ 
paign will be to stress the new 
product’s and designs (e.g., Ray¬ 
mond Loewy’s styling of the new 
tv receivers). Also slated for a big 
push is Westinghouse’s new color 
tv line that features a 22-inch rec¬ 
tangular tube of all-glass construc¬ 
tion that will provide the biggest 
tube in -existence, according to Ed¬ 
ward J. Kelly, g.m. of the televi¬ 
sion-radio division. Cabinet, said 
Kelly, will be no larger than the 
company’s cabinet for a 24-inch 
black and,, white set, and the new 
color set will be manufactured “in 
great quantities.” , 

Witting said the ad effort will 
“boost sales of our consumer prod¬ 
ucts by 35% or more over 1955 
levels in the remaining nine 
months of 1956.” 


Hub Changes Shift 
To Manager Level 

Boston, April 3. 

Shakeup in Boston radio, which 
started with shifting of disk jocks 
and changeovers in programming, 
extended to the manag rial offices 
this week. 

George M. Perkins, program 
chief at WHDH, leaves to become 
general manager of WROW, Al¬ 
bany, N. Y., May 1. No successor 
to Perkins has been named, al¬ 
though educated guesses are that 
it will go to John Day, station’s 
news director, who also does a 
WBZ-TV news show. 

John C. Gilmore has been ap¬ 
pointed by Len Hornsby, general 
manager of WVDA, as sales man- 
(Continued on page 40) 


Shades of Doc Brinkley 

Washington, April 3. 

Congress was asked yesterday (Mon.) for legislation which would 
terminate fraudulent stock promotions via international radio, tele¬ 
vision and telephone. 

Justice Department asked Congress to amend the laws to per¬ 
mit prosecution of those who peddle fake stock from Canada and 
Mexico. Assumption, of course, is that the promoters could be 
gotten back into this country for court action. 

Attorney General Herbert Brownell Jr., pointed out that our 
laws cover interstate use of radio, tv and telephones. However, 
in a case last year, the stock promoter phoned from Mexico to 
Los Angeles. The court ruled this was “foreign” rather than “in¬ 
terstate” and so not covered by our laws. 

Brownell wants an amendment to cover foreign communica¬ 
tions, as well. Model section, proposed by Brownell for inclusion 
in criminal code would cover “fraud by wire, radio or television 
communication in interstate or foreign commerce.” 

Issue brings to mind the Doc Brinkley case of some years ago. 
The FCC withdrew a radio broadcast license for advertising goat 
gland rejuvenation over the station. The “Doc” moved over to 
Mexico, set up a powerful station near the U. S. border and con¬ 
tinued to operate. 


WOV's Rhythm & Blues, 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Pfim&r? 


KAWO-TEimSIOX 


25 


TV’S BID FOR 1-CARD GUILD 


Respect for the Introspecs 

Growing respect accorded the network “introspecs,” particularly 
since the “four in a row” on NBC and CBS of a couple of weeks 
back, was pointed up this week with purchase by Shulton Inc. 
(Old Spice shaving accessories) of the Ed Murrow-Fred Friendly 
“See It Now” treatment of Africa. Shulton will bankroll the in- 
trospec as a two-parter, an expansion of the original conception, 
with the first going late in April and the second definitely set for 
May 20. 

Shulton buy points up the “new look” being given the intro¬ 
specs by sponsors since the “Richard III”-"Egypt & Israel”-“Twist- 
ed Cross”-“Out of Darkness” parlay a couple of weeks back. All 
garnered high praise and high ratings, though only two were spon¬ 
sored. Decision by Shulton to get into the act is further accented 
by the fact that its sponsorship record in the past has consisted of 
participating buys, spot sponsorship of the “Paris Precinct” vid- 
pixer in 30-odd markets and heavy spot schedules. 

“See It Now” crews are still shooting the two-parter all over 
Africa, and Murrow himself planes to Algiers next week for an 
interview with the mayor of Algiers plus establishing shots for 
other segments. 


Brownrigg in Six-Month-After 
Appraisal of Brit. Rediffusion TV 


By BOB CHANDLER 

“It took CBS-TV six years to be¬ 
come a profitable operation; we 
aren’t astonished ovfer the fact that 
we’ve been losing money in our 
first six months.” That’s the atti¬ 
tude taken by Capt. T. M. Brown¬ 
rigg, general manager of Associat¬ 
ed Rediffusion, • over the commer¬ 
cial contractor’s losses thus far. 
Capt, Brownrigg, who left for Lon¬ 
don Friday (31) after two weeks 
in the U.S. which included confer¬ 
ences with the networks and film 
distributors plus a swing around 
the northeast, feels that A-R went 
into commercial operation pre¬ 
pared for the long pull. 

Problems encountered thus far 
in the losing proposition have been 
the reluctance of some advertisers 
to buy into television; the failure 
to convince other advertisers that 
daytime is just as economical or 
more so than . nighttime; heavy 
early programming expenses; and 
most important at this time, the 
tightening of Britain’s economic 
belt. In this latter category is the 
restriction on credit buying, which 
forces Britons to pay 50% down on 
anything they buy on the install¬ 
ment plan. Onfce—or rather when 
—this restriction is lifted, Capt. 
Brownrigg expects his problems to 
be over; circulation will zoom', and 
so will advertising. 

The 50% down payment proviso 
has the effect of registering a 
sharp dropoff in set sales, because 
the average Briton can ill-afford to 
plunk down $150 for a set. Nor can 
(Continued on page 40) 

Robin Hood’ Gets 
$1,508,000 Pickup 

Among the first of the renewals 
for next fall is the British-made 
“Robin Hood,” which ambng the 
kidstrips 7:30-8 entries on CBS-TV 
was the only real winner. Johnson 
& Johnson (Young & Rubicam) 
and Wildroot (BBD&O) have both 
signed for*39*pix to start in the 
Monday 7:30 slot in the fall at a 
healthy increase in budget, with 
the • new cycle in the Richard 
Greene starrer set for the neigh¬ 
borhood of $1,500,000. Official 
Films, which has a stake in the 
Richard Greene starrer and also 
holds distribution rights to the 
series, did a wholesale foreign 
mopup as well, setting a J & J- 
Wildroot renewal in Canada and 
selling the show to Japan (NTV, 
Tokyo) and to Australia (Sydney 
and Melbourne) as well. 

Series, which got off to a good 
critical reception has been building 
in spectacular fashion on the Niel¬ 
sen lists as well, with its last out¬ 
ing registering a resounding 39.1. 
It’s also proved a heavy merchand¬ 
ising showcase, with Official sport¬ 
ing a list of 23 licensees to mer¬ 
chandising rights. Series’ success 
also touched off a spree of “period” 
series being pitched at national 
sponsors, among them Official’s 
new “Sir Launcelot” and CBS 
Television Film Sales' “King Rich¬ 
ard the LiomHearted.”, ^ 


Tonsil Switch 

Grand opera stars have been 
on a “pops” kick via guest 
shots on radio, tv and in nite- 
ries, but here’s a switch. Hill¬ 
billy singer “Texas Bill” Pick¬ 
ett, featured on CBS Radio’s 
“Saturday Night — Country 
Style” series out of WHAS,. 
Louisville, is turning oppra 
star. 

Pickett will make his opera 
debut April 11 with the New 
York City Opera Co. singing 
the male lead in the Gotham 
premiere of Rolf Liebermann’s 
“The School for Wives.” He’s 
a baritone, by the way. 


Leder Prepping A 
BigMusic-&-News 
Format for WOR 

Though Bob Leder has just taken 
over his post as topper of WOR 
Radio, appointment of the WINS 
ex-manager to the network key is 
beginning to take on meaning for 
a number of insiders. WOR, part 
of the RKO Teleradio empire con¬ 
trolled by Tom O’Neil and the flag 
for Mutual, has in the past built 
its local fame and fortune as the 
only “practically all gab station” 
in N. Y. But the word is out that 
Leder is there, despite the station 
having become rich on the gab 
format, to shift it principally to a 
music and news operation. 

Leder, who is taking a brief 
respite before starting his new job, 
hypoed WINS, also in N. Y., into 
a revenue winner from its losing 
status of two years back via the 
rock ’n’ roll route. It’s not likely 
that O’Neil will tolerate rock 'n'roll 
as a steady WOR diet, but Leder 
can adapt his indie background to 
other types of music in the an¬ 
ticipated format revision. An un¬ 
official WOR report has it that the 
music - news shift will concern 
mostly afternoon and evening 
times, where biz can use a boost. 
The morning hours are doing well 
at present on the gab formula. 

When shift comes, the station’s 
responsibility to the network, being 
slight, will not interfere with a 
daytime music-news formula. Gor¬ 
don Gray, who until the Leder 
assignment, headed both. WOR- 
AM-and-TV, retains command of 
the tv arm. Part of O'Neil's de¬ 
cision to import Leder, it was sort 
of semi-officially proclaimed, was 
to give Gray .more time to work 
on the growing responsibilities of 
the tv station. 


GF 'FILM FESTIVAL' COIN 

General Foods has picked up 
three participations weekly for a 
one-month run on ABC-TV's ‘After¬ 
noon Film Festival” for Jello. It 
marks the first time the Jello brand 
has advertised on the web. 

Deal set via Young & Rubicam. 


will" aftra, 


By ART WOODSTONE 

A permanent merger of Ameri¬ 
can Federation of Television & 
Radio Artists and Screen Actors 
Guild is being viewed as the only 
means of preventing serious dam¬ 
age to the entire industry. All 
earlier attempts to bring the major 
talent tinions together under one 
banner have failed. However, hope 
is being taken in 'two important 
changes in the situation since the 
last try at amalgamation in 1953. 

Employers, for the first time, 
are showing an active interest in 
establishing a single talent union 
for tv, and it’s believed that the 
additional pressure they can exert 
in creating a .one-card guild could 
be of great help. Previous tries 
at a collective shop have been of 
principally internal origin, and 
when merger negotiations failed, 
actors mostly took it simply as a 
continuation of “inconvenience.” 
Naturally, some were troubled by 
the additional cost incumbent in 
holding many different union cards, 
but it still wasn’t a great problem. 
But today a plear possibility of loss 
to employers as a result of pro¬ 
longed jurisdictional hassling can 
affect the earning power of the 
actors themselves, and that has the 
farsighted ones worried.’ 

The second change is a point of 
principal to the actors and not 
necessarily one directly concerned 
with economics. Live and film 
camera techniques are getting more 
and more alike, so it’s not as 
though actors are working in two 
distinct and different media any 
longer. 

Others Would Fall.in Line 

Incidentally, there are tradesters 
of the opinion that if AFTRA and 
SAG come to agreement, the other 
talent unions will follow suit with 
hardly any trouble. Actors Equity 
recently went on repord as wanting 
a one-card guild, Equity’s measure 
has an important converse effect on 
AFTRA and SAG, since many legit 
thesps belong to both the other 
unions and serve as a core for con¬ 
solidation propaganda. 

AFTRA-SAG jurisdictional dis¬ 
putes mean the greatest loss of 
coin to producers, networks and 
camera equipment people in tv’s 
eight-year history. Today the me¬ 
dium is tying up great sums 
in production and in commit¬ 
ments to distributors, sponsors, 
laboratories, etc. Since work 
stoppages are so costly, producers 
try to skirt them by not getting 
involved with camera systems un¬ 
der dispute, leaving companies 
such as DuMont Labs, which owns 
the much-disputed Electronicam, to 
take the financial rap via loss of 
revenue potential. 

But soon producers won’t .have 
any place to turn for camera equip¬ 
ment, etc., it’s felt, since it will 
all be in dispute. Both AFTRA 
(Continued on page 40) 


LEE SEGALL TO HELM 
LOMBARDO‘JUBILEE’ 

Lee Segall, owner of the .erst- 
while “Dr. I. Q.” quizzer and 
other packages, is moving up to 
New York from Texas to take over 
production reins on the “Diamond 
Jubilee” Guy Lombardo series on 
CBS-TV Tuesday nights. Segall 
moves in as replacement for Gor¬ 
don Auchincloss, who has quit the 
show in a disagreement on format 
with MCA, which packages the 
stanza. He’ll continue to be repped 
by MCA, which is looking for a 
new property for him, and said the 
parting was “amicable” and con¬ 
fined to the format hassle. 

Segall, who starts next week as 
producer, has meanwhile effected 
a change in his status at KIXL in 
Dallas, where he’s moving up from 
prez of the station, in which he’s 
got a major stake, to chairman of 
the board. Julius Schepps, Dallas 
businessman, becomes prez of Va¬ 
riety Broadcasting Co., owner of 
the station, while Robert S. Straus 
was named v.p.-legal counsel and 
general manager Charles F. Payne 
reelected secretary-treasurer. 


Manie Sacks Fulltime NBC Exec 


Status, Alan Livingston s Shift As 
Kagran Prexy Keyed to Expansion 


Battle of the Longies 

While the trade raised its 
collective eyebrow a few weeks 
bak with the disclosure that 
CBS-TV was planning two and 
a half consecutive hours of 
drama on Thursdays with its 
back-to-back “Climax” and 
“Playhouse 90,” ABC-TV was 
quietly preparing to do exact¬ 
ly the same thing, and on the' 
same night. 

Web has slotted as Thurs¬ 
day night fall entries its “In¬ 
ternational Playhouse” hour 
series to be* produced by Shel¬ 
don Reynolds, and its 90-min¬ 
ute “Command Performance” 
series being filmed by John 
Gibbs’ Meridian Productions. 
Slotting calls for “Interna¬ 
tional” to follow “Lone Rang¬ 
er” at 8, and “Command” 
backing it up at 9-10:30. Slot¬ 
ting, of course, is by no means 
final, since neither property is 
sold yet and both are in the 
pilot-only stage. 


Liebman Exiting 
Sat. Spec Series; 
Olds Pulling Out? 

Although his ’56-’57 status has 
not been fully resolved as yet, it’s 
virtually certain that Max 1 Lieb¬ 
man will bow out of the Saturday 
night spec series next season. Un¬ 
derstood, too, that Oldsmobile is 
relinquishing its sponsorship of 
the one-a-month tint displays, pre¬ 
ferring to stake a greater claim in 
one-shot special productions with 
their virtual sure-guarantee rat¬ 
ings. Understood six such one- 
shots are ready on the ’56-’57 Olds 
calendar. 

However, there will still be a 
Liebman in NBC-TV’s spec fu¬ 
ture with the producer-director 
tentatively slated to do Sunday 
nighters next season. (In addition 
to the Saturday night specs. Lieb¬ 
man* has also been doubling into 
a number of the Sunday 90-min- 
uters this season.) 

Liebman’s major concentration 
next season will probably be in the 
half-hour area of programming. 
He’s already finished a pilot of the 
Buddy Hackett comedy series, 
called “Stanley,” on which the net¬ 
work is plenty bullish. There are 
a flock of potential clients on tap 
for this one. It’s just a case of 
gnibbing off a suitable NBC time 
slot when one opens up. 


> Coincidental with the bowing out 
of Emanuel (Manie) Sacks as vice- 
president and general manager of 
the RCA Victor Record Division, 
the shift of Capitol Records’ execu¬ 
tive veepee Alan Livingston to the 
RCA-NBC fold will take place on 
April 15. Sacks, of course, remains 
a staff vicepresident ofjthe parent 
Radio Corp. of America and a veep 
of NBC. 

The demand on his time with 

• NBC and RCA, particularly as a 
key aide to NBC prexy Robert W. 
Sarnoff, is the cause of his exiting 
from the record division, according 
to the formal statement by RCA 
prexy Frank M. Folsom. Intra¬ 
trade, it was inevitable that Sacks 
would have to divorce himself from 
the record phase, where he had 
been shifted in January, 1953, 
when diskery operation required 
hypoing. 

It was likewise inevitable that 
Lawrence W. Kanaga, former sales 
chieftain who had been made 
veepee and operations manager of 
the Victor record division last May, 
would ultimately succeed to the 
top spot. Kanaga will report to 
Robert A. Seidel, executive vice- 
president, RCA Consumer Prod¬ 
ucts. Folsom’s statement accented, 
“In recent months Mr. Sacks has 
been spending more and more time 
on staff activities at RCA and NBC. 
Because of the expansion of color 
television, and new programming 
as well as talent requirements, the 
demands on his time will be even 
greater irr the months ahead.” 

The Alan Livingston shift from 
Capitol Records to NBC will focus 
on the film production division and 
will be centred in Kagran Corp. 
This was the “Howdy Doody” hold¬ 
ing corporation which NBC bought 
for a reported $1,000,000 and, in 
a deliberate slough-off announce¬ 
ment around Jan. 15, last, it was 
revealed that Sacks had become 
board chairman of Kagran and J. 
M. (Mack) Clifford president 
thereof. 

Clifford is stepping down from 

• the makeshift title to his post as 
executive, administrator to NBC 
prez Bobby Sarnoff. Sacks and Clif¬ 
ford are the two closest aides to 
the president of the network. 

To Expand Film ‘Enterprises’ 

Kagran handles the film syndi¬ 
cation among other enterprises. 
These “other enterprises” will be 
extensively reactivated with Liv¬ 
ingston's advent. 

Primarily it will focus around 
vidpic production. NBC’s prob¬ 
able extended theatrical activities 
would likewise go through Living- 
(Continued on page 38) 


‘Bloomer Girl’ 

A No-Star Romp 


BILL M0RW00D NAMED 
CBS-TV STORY EDITOR 

First in a series of new appoint¬ 
ments in the CBS-TV program 
structure under executive veepee 
Hubbell Robinson Jr., came 
through last week with the desig¬ 
nation of Bill Morwood as story 
editor. Morwood was formerly with 
MCA and the Theatre Guild. 

Appointment is keyed to the 
network’s recognition of the grow¬ 
ing importance of tv properties in 
the ever-expanding dramatic field 
now that the films and legit are 
looking to tv for more and more 
story material. 


HARBERT TO K&E 

Edward L. Harbert 2d has joined 
Kenyon & Eckhardt as director of 
program development. Harbert 
has been a producer-director at 
NBC-TV, handling closed-circuit 
color television shows. 

Prior to his NBC affiliation, he 
was with Metro. 


The May item on the “Producers* 
Showcase” calendar on NBC-TV 
will inaugurate something new in 
the realm of high-budgeted specs 
—a show without a single star. The 
May presentation will be a revival 
of the “Bloomer Girl” musical 
which was seen on Broadway some 
years back, which Alex Segal will 
produce for Showcase Productions. 

In this instance it’s felt that the 
show itself rates the major billing 
and can stand on its own w'ithout 
marquee names. Originally there 
were negotiations with Nanette Fa- 
bray to go into trie lead, but these 
were* called off last week and in¬ 
stead it’s probable that Barbara 
Cook, of the “Plain and Fancy” 
musical legiter, will step into the 
role. Agnes DeMille, who staged 
the dances for the original, has 
been pacted for the same assign¬ 
ment, which will include a revival 
of the standout “Sunday in Cicero 
Falls” second-act ballet produc¬ 
tion. 

Auditions were slated for last 
night (Tues.).for the remainder of 
the cast. 



26 


RADIO-TELEVISION 


PfatlETY 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


NBC-RCA Cutting Some Fancy Chi 
Capers (or All-Tint Station Bow 


Chicago, April 3. 4 

' One of the biggest Windy City 
promotion offensives ever mounted 
is rolling at the Chi NBC-TV head¬ 
quarters in connection wi'h 
WNBQ’s switch to an all-color op¬ 
eration April 15. Joining in the 
hippodroming whirlwind designed 
to make the Chicago public tint 
conscious are the combined NBC- 
RCA forces with an active assist 
from the Carl Byoir public rela¬ 
tions firm. 

The “spectrum spectacular” as 
It’s dubbed, is geared for the April 
15th unveiling of WNBQ’S multi- 
hued facilities which have been re¬ 
tooled from monochrome at a cost 
of $1,250,000. Dedication of the 
“pilot plant,” to be used as a tinted 
showcase for color telecasting at 
the local level, has been timed to 
coincide with the gathering of the 
broadcasting fraternity for the Na¬ 
tional Assn, of Radio-Television 
Broadcasters the same week. 

Possibly RCA chairman David 
Sarnoff, and for certain NBC prez 
Robert Sarnoff and chairman Syl¬ 
vester Pat) Weaver, will head the 
top echelon delegation due in for 
the Sunday (15) teeoflf. Curtain 
rising ceremonies will be a “Wide 
Wide World” feature that day and 
will be followed by a reception 
hosted by WNBQ veep Jules Her- 
buveaux for the network brass and 
the visiting affiliated firemen. 

The warmup campaign got un¬ 
derway last week, spearheaded by 
Howard Coleman’s ad-promotion 
department and Chet Campbell’s 
press crew. Coleman has unleased 
an advertising and promotion bar¬ 
rage with a book value of $150,000 
when the on-the-air promos on both 
the tv station and the sister radio 
station WMAQ are counted. Actual 
out-of-pocket costs will run about 
$35,000 for the spreads in other 
media such as the local dailies, fan 
mags, trade press and car cards. 
Chi RCA-Victor Distributing Corp., 
is backstopping with dealer pla¬ 
cards and window posters. Station 
spots are a specialy filmed series 
of 10 and 20 second blurbs featur¬ 
ing a Tommy Tint character. (Mer¬ 
chants & Manufacturers Club bar, 
the local NBC’ers oasis, is in the 
act with a Tiny Tint cocktail). 

Hoopla is taking on real circus 
dimensions through the use of sky¬ 
writing planes which are to do 
their doodlings above the city, in 
red, green and blue smoke. 

Campbell’s publicity support 
broke out Sunday (1) with a 
spread in the Chicago Tribune’s 
Sunday mag. The Daily News 
comes through with a roto layout 
April 14 and the Sun-Times with 
a pix-copy feature in its Midwest 
mag the next day. TV Guide and 
Chicago Magazine have likewise 
scheduled yarns on the rainbow 
pi A ch. 

A big play will be made to the I 
NARTB assemblage in a calculated 
effort to get the station men stir¬ 
red up about color. Tint receivers 
will be scattered through the Con¬ 
rad Hilton convention site and 
other strategic locations around 
town for special closed-circuiting 
of continuous color film shows. It’s 
also planned to set up a shu'tle 
bus arrangement between the Hil¬ 
ton andWNBQ’s Merchandise Mart 
homebase so the delegates can take 
the tour through the nation’s first 
tele plant when the back and white 
camera chains have been given ob¬ 
solete billing. 


WCOP IN BOSTON 
SOLD FOR $500,OdO 

Boston, April 3. 

Radio station WCOP, owned by 
the Boston Post since March 25, 
1054, was sold last week to the 
Plough Broadcasting Co. of Mem¬ 
phis, Tenn., for approximately 
$500,000. 

The Post bought WCOP from 
Roy V. Whisnand of Boston and 
two Nashville partners. Whisnflnd 
had been running the station. The 
sale is subject to FCC approval. 

It was the second major pur¬ 
chase in two' weeks for the Plough 
Broadcasting Co. First purchase 
was WCAO in Baltimore, Md., 
wholly owned subsidiary of Plough, 
Inc., manufacturers of. cosmetics 
and medicines. The broadcasting 
firm also controls WJJD in Chi¬ 
cago and another Plough subsid¬ 
iary owns WMPS in Memphis. , 


Laffey’s CIosed-TV Slot 

Frederick P. Laffey has joined 
ABC-TV as closed-circuit program 
manager, reporting to talent-pro¬ 
gramming v.p. Bob Lewine. T/8tf ey 
until recently was traffic zhul con¬ 
tinuity supervisor at WBZ-TV, Bos¬ 
ton, having formerly been with 
WLAW as program manager. 

Closed-circuit post has been 
open at ABC-TV for several 
months, since Bill Balaban left the 
network to join Lou Edelman’s 
telefilm production outfit ’on the 
Coast. 


Lopoif of Excise 
Tax on Color TV 
Sets Now Likely 

Washington, April 3. 

Prospects for elimination of the 
10% manufacturers’ excise on 
all-channel color sets have bright¬ 
ened considerably as a result of 
testimony given before the Senate 
Interstate Commerce Committee 
last week by NBC financial veepee 
Joseph Heffernan. 

Heffernan’s dual purpose pro¬ 
posal—to give color a needed push 
and at the same time build UHF 
circulation—was warmly received 
by the Committee. His argument 
that the plan would cost the gov¬ 
ernment little in the way of rev¬ 
enue, as contrasted with the sub¬ 
stantial loss which would result 
from repeal of the excise on all¬ 
channel monochrome receivers, 
particularly impressed Sen. John 
O. Pastore (D-R.I.) who indicated 
the Committee would go all-out to 
win over the Treasury and the 
House and Senate tax-writing com¬ 
mittees. 

Removal, of the tax on all-chan¬ 
nel color sets would give color a 
boost by reducing the retail cost 
of such receivers by about $50. 

Some manufacturers, notably 
RCA, equip all their color receiv¬ 
ers with all-channel tuning. If the 
excise is taken off, it’s quite cer¬ 
tain that all new color sets would 
be all-channel as there would no 
longer be any price incentive to 
make VHF-only sets. 

While development of the UHF 
audience through sale of all-chan¬ 
nel color sets would be consider¬ 
ably slower (it might take around 
10 years) than through, all-channel 
black and white, it’s probably the 
only thing in sight to help UHF. 
Sen. Pastore indicated that, despite 
efforts of the Committee to repeal 
the excise from all-channel mono¬ 
chrome receivers, the Treasury is 
adamantly against it. 

The Senator revealed that a ma¬ 
jor reason for the Treasury De¬ 
partment’s opposition (aside from 
the loss of revenue) is the fear 
that if the excise on all-channel 
monochrome were removed there 
would be concerted pressure for re¬ 
lief by other industries, including 
the exhibitors for repeal of the tax 
on admissions. It’s recalled that 
Congress was on the verge of re¬ 
moving the excise on all-channel 
sets in 1954 when pressure by 
other appliance makers for “me- 
too” exemptions stymied action. 


Quaker Oats’ Brace 

Of CBS Radio Buys 

Quaker Oats moved in on the 
CBS Radio sponsorship scene last 
week via a pickup of a pair of seg¬ 
ments weekly on the “Wendy War¬ 
ren & the News” soaper for its 
Puss & Boots Cat Food and also 
buying in on Galen Drake’s Satur¬ 
day morning series on the web. 

On the nighttime front, C-7 Let¬ 
tuce picked up two segments a 
week of “Amos ’n’ Andy Music 
Hall.” Same bankroller recently 
signed for cosponsorship of the 
Grace Kelly-Prince Rainier nup¬ 
tials on CBS. 


Skinner, Arlen Scrapped 
As WCBS-TV‘Strips Up’ 
Morning With Reruns 

Trend toward the use of rerun 
films as daytime strip program¬ 
ming gathered momentum in New 
York this week when WCBS-TV 
scrapped its George Skinner va¬ 
riety show and Margaret Arlen 
capsule in favor of scheduling a 
pair of comedy series, “My Little 
Margie” and “Amos ’n’ Andy,” in 
the 9-10 a.m. period. Change goes 
into effect April 16, with Skinner 
retaining some of his CBS identity 
via his “Make Up Your Mind” net¬ 
work radio segment buf now com¬ 
pletely off of television at Colum¬ 
bia. 

WCBS-TV purchased the “Mar¬ 
gie” series some months back from 
Official Films, but held bhck on 
scheduling the package until now. 
“Margie” goes in at 9 a.m., fol¬ 
lowed by “A ’n’ A” at 9:30. Lat¬ 
ter is a CBS Television Film Sales 
property, but the WCBS-TV slot¬ 
ting marks the first time it’s being 
used as a strip, with its use up to 
now restricted to one-a-week or 
two-a-week slots. Station, ' inci¬ 
dentally, explains the move with 
the reasoning that it’s after an 
•adult audience and feels the situ¬ 
ation comedies are the way to get 
one. 


HOSMER'S 'WHAT'S THE USE?' 

Calif. Solon Despairs of Drive 
Against Obnoxious Com’Is 


Washington, April 3. 

Rep. Craig Hosmer (R-Calif.) ad¬ 
mitted last week that his cam¬ 
paign against “loud, noisy and 
therefore obnoxious” commercials 
on radio and tv is “faltering.” Al¬ 
though he has received consider¬ 
able sympathetic mail, Hosmer 
said, the FCC has not responded 
to his complaints and neither have 
the networks. 1 

“With such discouraging re¬ 
sults,” he asserted, “perhaps the 
campaign ought to be abandoned. 
Broadcasters and the FCC appar¬ 
ently believe that it is only the 
people who object anyway and if 
they do not like loud commercials 
they can eat cake. But in my book 
the people still are important and 
I intend to keep the campaign go¬ 
ing.” 

Hosmer said that one broad¬ 
caster “dignified” his campaign by 
writing him that “commercials 
really are not loud, they just seem 
that way.” 


San Antonio—Will Rogers Jr., 
who runs the CBS-TV “Morning 
Show” will visit the city during 
its annual Fiesta Week starting 
April 16. He is scheduled to be 
the parade marshall on Saturday, 
April 21, of the Fiesta Flambeau. 


TV‘Ideas Are Taxable 

Washington, April 3. 

A writer and idea man who makes a “program idea agree¬ 
ment” with a television network is an employee of the net for 
Federal employment tax purposes, even if the writer also has a 
separate “employment agreement” with the web, the Internal 
Revenue Service has just ruled. Thus, the writer or “idea man” 
may be an employee under two separate contracts. 

In response to a request for advice, Internal Revenue said: 

“The television exercises or has the right to exercise such con¬ 
trol over the individual in the performance of his services as is 
necessary to establish the relationship of employer and employee. 

“The nature of the services performed under the ‘Program Idea 
Agreement’ is such as to make close supervision impracticable, 
but the information shows that, under both arrangements, the in¬ 
dividual is required to perform the services personally, that he is 
at all times subject to call by the network, that he is required to 
confer with persons in regard to the work at places designated 
by the network, and that his services are completely exclusive 
to^the network during the time the agreements are in effect. 

“Accordingly, it is held that under each agreement the in¬ 
dividual is an employee of the network for Federal employment 
tax purposes.” 



■4444444 MM 4444444444444444 44 44 4 4 4 4 444 4 4 M 1 4 4 4 4 4. 

From the Production Centres ;i 

>4444444444444444 4 4 4444-444-4-4-4 4 4 4444-44 44 4 444444444’> 

IN NEW YORK CITY . . , 

Les Persky, prez of the Product Services agency, back from the Coast 
where he initiated setting of a Hollywood office . . . Lanny Ross cele¬ 
brates his 25th anni as a graduate of Columbia Law School by ap¬ 
pearing April 13 and 14 at the first Columbia Law School Frolics . . , 
CBS Radio prez Art Hayes addressed the annual All-Jesuit Alumni Din¬ 
ner at St. Louis U. last night (Tues.) . . . Dean Hunter, regular an¬ 
nouncer on Walter Winchell show on Mutual, signed for a daily three- 
hour disk jockey stint on WMGM . . . John Derr, CBS sports topper, 
off to Augusta today (Wed.) to cover the Masters Golf Tourney on 
radio tomorrow through Sunday (8) . . . George Kern, formerly asso¬ 
ciate media director at Lennen & Newell, joined McCann Erickson as 
a radio-tv account exec . . . Howard Barnes, CBS Radio program veep, 
vacationing for two weeks in Tobago, B.W.I. . . . Charles T. Lynch 
joined Audio-Video Recording Co. as v.p.-treasurer . . . Arthur Godfrey 
bacjc to his CBS radio-tv spreads after a two-week vacation . . . WCBS* 
Jack Sterling going “legit” by playing the lead in a stage production 
of “Lightnin’ ” April 26-27 at Stamford, Conn. . . . Galen Drakes 
(WCBS) bought a home in Westchester and move out of their Gotham 
apartment in June . . Herman Hickman back at WCBS after a two- 

week swing through the baseball training camps. 

Mutual exec producer Edwin Thomas Otis feted by the radio net¬ 
work in a tripip 21 deal: retiring after 21 years in Mutual employ; it’s 
the web’s 21st year and the party (natch) was at 21 Club last week. 
Going to Holliston, Mass, hideaway . . . Same network preeming Dr. 
John Henderson’s (Johnson & Johnson medical director) “For Parents 
Only” next Saturday (7) ayem . . . Harriet H. Hester, ex-veep of Mar- 
shall-Hester Productions, launching Harriet H. Hester Productions . . . 
Singer Steve Gaynor, now at Glen Cove (L. I.) nitery, does guest stint 
on Betty Reilly’s WGBB “Your World At One.” . . . Betty Green, 26- 
year-old secretary to RKO Teleradio topper Tom O’Neil, died last week 
in St. Joseph’s hospital after a long siege of leukemia . . . Jim Shoe¬ 
maker to Radio Ad Bureau’s station relations staff—from commercial 
manager of WWCA, Gary, Ind. . . . WINS’ Brad Phillips does an anni¬ 
versary stanza Sunday (8) and makes a special pitch for a Harlem Y, 
with The Chordettes, Tony Bennett, Eydie Gorme, Sammy Davis Jr. 
and Betty Madigan committed to help in the airing. 

Barbara Carpenter, 20-year-old daughter of Mutual station relations 
topper Bob Carpenter, elected prez of the student government council 
at U. of Connecticut . . . WLIB topper Harry Novik back from a 
Florida vacation. WLIB, incidentally, carried daily broadcasts on 
the Exposition of Progress at Wanamaker’s, and is now planning a 
full-hour show for April 15 on the anni of the founding of Israel, to 
feature tapes from Israel from top government leaders. 

Lew Fisher named manager of news and special events for WINS, 
to report to news topper-announcer Peter Roberts; was apparently. 
Bob Leder’s last official appointment before he moved over as boss of 
WOR-AM . . . Bill Berns, WRCA and WRCA-TV director of news-spe¬ 
cial events, to Atlantic City, Friday (6) for National Headliners Awards’ 
. . . Karl Hoffenberg, Martha Raye producer, will address Triad League, 
the -students ad club at NYU, on May 3 . . . Suzy Gilbert of WRCA’s 
promotion department, off to Florida for week . . . Joe Friedman has 
joined WRCA’s “Pulse” as a production assistant . . . Ted Steele WOR 
radiocast at 6:15 p.m. has 14 out of its 15 spots sold in under three 
weeks on air . . . Alan Jay, WNYC 'gabber who also handles WOR’s 
“Church World News,” into an Arena Players’ performance of “Ar¬ 
senic and Old Lace.” 

Hal Davis (Kenyon & Eckhardt) and Mrs. to Greenbrier, White 
Sulphur Springs, to celebrate 15th wedding anni . . . 

Lawrence J. Pollock has .joined ABC as manager of radio research. 
He moves over from Dancer-Fitzgerald-Sample, where he was a project 
director .in charge of creative media research and in his new network 
spot- reports to Dean Shaffner, director of research & sales develop¬ 
ment for ABC Radio. Research spot has been vacant since Shaffner 
took over the department following its split-off from a combined radio- 
tv operation. 

IN HOLLYWOOD ... 

Five years to the day after he joined J. Walter Thompson, on a move- 
over from Foote, Cone & Belding, Bob Ballin pulled stakes and April 1 
joined Sullivan, Stauffer, Colwell & Bayles in Hollywood. After* a 
month in N. Y. he’ll base on the Coast . . . James Ingraham took^ a 
sales job at Don Lee-Mutual after serving as the coast radio net’s con¬ 
tinuity acceptance editor ... Ed Mahoney of Benton & Bowles in Hol¬ 
lywood to research the new animation processes for commercial tv . . . 
Pabst moved the Eastside account into the Leo Burnett agency, which 
puts all the Pabst brewery billing under one roof . . . Jeanette Davis 
of the Arthur Godfrey troupe scouting the coast for an all-June origi¬ 
nation of the show. The headman may pass much of his off-time with 
the Arabian horses at the Kellogg ranch at Pomona, an easy drive from 
Hollywood . . . Cal Smith, manager, and his spinner of classical -rec¬ 
ords, Tom Cassidy, received the year’s radio award of California Fed¬ 
eration of Women’s Clubs . . . Charlie Cantor, long time friend and 
co-comic on Fred Allen shows, proposed to the Television Academy 
that an award in Allen’s name be made to the one who' does the most 
to elevate comedy in tv . . . Sarah Churchill takes her bow on “Lux 
Video Theatre” April 12 as the tv counterpart of Merle Oberon in 
“Temptation.” . . . Tom Hargis took leave as producer of the Gene 
Autry radio series after major surgery. 

IN CHICAGO ... 

E. Richard Peterson, son of Keystone veep Edwin (Pete) Peterson, 
signed on with the transcribed web as an .account exec . . . NBC-TV 
central division promotion chief Hal Smith out of action for a couple 
of weeks after a knee operation . . . Sally Foster, WBBM producer 
Earl Steele’s spouse, new staff chirper at the Columbia station ... 
It’s the Redheart dog food division of the John Morrell packing firm 
that bought a daily five-minute slice of ABC’s “Breakfast Club” . . . 
Ned Locke replaced Dan Driscoll on WGN-TV’s “Lunchtime Little 
Theatre” . . . NBC weatherman Clint Youle vacationing this week . . . 
Eddie Ballantine, music director of ABC’s “Breakfast Club,” conducting 
a special 10-week course at the U. of Chicago . . . George S. May Co. 
will again sponsor WNBQ’s “Championship Golf” show which resumes 
from the Tam O’Shanter club June 5 with Norm Barry calling the 
shots. Barry is taking in the Masters Tourney In Augusta, Ga., this 
weekend . . . Carolyn Gilbert has checked out as pianist on the ABC- 
TV “Kukla, Fran & Ollie” strip to join Chi CBS as talent supervisor. 
ABC staffers Bill Moss and Marty Rubenstein will split the keyboard¬ 
ing duties on KFO . , . Don Balsamo shifts this week from the WBKB 
sales crew to a ditto post with KABC, Los Angeles . . . Buddy Black 
is subbing for vacationing Frazier Thomas on WGN-TV’s “Garfield 
Goose” and Pat McCaffrie is working his morning “Route 56” strip 
... Connie Mitchell getting a tryout this week as vocalist on WBKB’$ 
“Open House” latenighter. 

IN BOSTON . . . 

WEEI named Arthur C. King director of public affairs with com¬ 
plete supervision of all local, educational, religious and civic programs 
and all Boston originations for the CBS network in the same categories 
this week . . . Charles Ashley. WEEI news chief, gets assignment as 
i (Continued op page 28) 




Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


RABIO-mEVISIOIV 


27 


PSttiEiff 


AGENCY-CLIENT TV SHOWDOWN 


Nielsen’s Top 10 

(Two Weeks Ending March 10) 


Total Audience 

I Love Lucy (CBS) .52.5 

Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) . .51.9 
$64,000 Question (CBS) . .49.4 
Ford Star Jubilee (CBS) . .47.6 

Disneyland ■ (ABC) .45.6 

Jack Benny Show (CBS) . .44.4 
December Bride (CBS) .. 43.1 
Perry Como Show (NBC) .40.2 

Dragnet (NBC) .39.5 

Millionaire (CBS) .39.5 


Average Audience 

I Love Lucy (CBS) .50.1 

$64,000 Question (CBS) ..46.3 
Ed Sullivan Show (CBS) . .43.2 
December Bride (CBS) ... 40.5 
Jack Benny Show (CBS). .40.1 


Disneyland (ABC) .37.4 

Dragnet (NBC) .36.7 

Millionaire (CBS) .36.6 

You Bet Life (NBC) ....36.3 
G. E. Theater (CBS) .... .36.3 


Takes More Than a Technician’ 


New Producer of *GE Theatre’ Takes Cognizance 
Of All Creative Facets 

4 - 


Television is getting away from 
the era when technicians ruled the 
creative Yoost, in the Opinion of 
Leo Davis, vet writer-script editor, 
who’s just been named producer of 
all live shows in the’“General Elec¬ 
tric Theatre” series* Davis, him¬ 
self script editor of the series for 
the past year and .prior to that edi¬ 
tor for “Omnibus” and a freelance 
video scripter, feels that the time 
is coming to an end when produ¬ 
cers and directors were chosen for 
their ability to handle a camera 
and booms rather than for their 
abilities in translating a script into 
solid dramatics. 

“More and more producers and 
directors are cropping up who have 
had real stage experience, who 
have worked with actors and stage 
directors and who know how to 
read a script and make it come 
alive,” Davis says. Networks are 
full of young talented people from 
the stage who have come into tv 
as floor managers and unit man¬ 
agers and are just waiting for 
their chance. “I wish we could 
take some of the very talented 
Broadway directors and make tv di¬ 
rectors out of them,” says Davis, 
“but we can’t. They've got to know 
their camera direction and their 
television techniques as well as 
staging and handling actors.” 

Too often in the past, the net¬ 
works made producers and direc¬ 
tors out of ^technical directors or 
assistant directors who had their 
technical talents down pat but who 
knew nothing of scripts, actors and 
staging. Even writers were often 
judged by their technical abilities 
—the ability to knock off a script 
in a hurry, to fit it to a given situa¬ 
tion—instead on the basis of the 
content of the scripts themselves. 

Another new source of producers 
and directors is writers and editors, 
says Davis, using his own case to 
make the point. “I'm not talking 
about a ‘desk editor' who never 
moves out of hisroffice. I'm talking 
about an editor who does his work 
(Continued on page 38) 

FCC in Big Push 
For More VHFs 

Washington, April 3. 

The FCC is intensifying its ef¬ 
forts to obtain more VHF channels 
to provide for tv expansion. An 
important meeting was held last 
week with Office of Defense Mobil- 
lzer Arthur S. Flemming and other 
members of a special government 
committee in pursuit of this objec¬ 
tive. It was the third such, meet¬ 
ing and was marked by the attend¬ 
ance of all seven commissioners. 

What progress was made could 
not Jje determined but the fact that 
all commissioners' were present was 
regarded as significant. Flemming 
Is expected to isStie a statement 
this week. There’s speculation it 
may be more than a routine prog¬ 
ress report. 

Efforts to get more V’s have been 
under way for some time but have 
apparently been accentuated since 
Senate Interstate Commerce 
Committee began its current in¬ 
quiry into tv problems and exposed 
td public light the hopelessness of 
(Continued on page 35) 1 


John Daly’s SRO 

Polaroid Cameras has moved into 
sponsorship of the Monday segment 
of John Daly’s ABC-TV newscast 
for a seven-week ride starting in 
May. Camera outfit in the past has 
bought tv on a participating basis. 

Buy will give Daly an SRO dur¬ 
ing that period, with Miles Labs 
taking three a week and Time Inc. 
in for one. 


Don’t Be Surprised 
If Westinghouse 
Still Buys WINS 

Westinghouse’s hopes to buy 
WINS, N. Y. radio indie, from Elroy 
McCaw are still alive. McCaw and 
Don McGannon,. WBC prexy, will 
meet in Chi at th.e time of the 
NARTB conclave to discuss the 
purchase further. 

Talks were ended temporarily, 
according to one WBC official, with 
McCaw out in the northwest U. S. 
and McGannon in N. Y. This, he 
felt, led many tradesters to think 
WINS purchase talks were off. But 
the McGannon-McGaw discussions, 
he added, “never reached a really 
final stage.” 

It is known that some observers 
thought the deal was off when 
McCaw brought his man Jock Fern- 
head from the Coast (to fill the 
managerial vacancy inade recently 
by Bob Leder who is going to 
WOR, N.Y.), and especially when 
Fernhead took up residence in 
N. Y.'s suburbs. However, since 
Leder's decision to move may have 
come rather quickly for McCaw, 
Fernhead's transfer east, some 
think, is an “interim” measure. 

WBC reports that McCaw asked 
$2,500,000 for the station. A spokes¬ 
man explained that WBC would 
.not go that high for WINS, but 
that McGannon and McCaw could 
probably reach some agreement. 

In what is seen as an effort to 
save overhead, WINS management 
has axed freelancer Tom Reddy as 
emcee for its “Cashbox,” etc. pro¬ 
grams and subbed with a staff an¬ 
nouncer. In addition, Richard Mc¬ 
Kee, whom Leder brought in some 
time ago as advertising and pro¬ 
motion chief, has also been let go. 
The Peter Roberts ayem show was 
bounced too. 

Texaco Shifting All Billings 
To One Agcy.; Wasey Axed 

Texas Co. (Texaco), which has 
its billings spread over three 
agencies, is consolidating its ad 
program into one house and al¬ 
ready has dropped one of its agen¬ 
cies. Out is Erwin, Wasey, which 
handles radio and magazines, while 
it's still a tossup as to whether 
Kudner or Cunningham & Walsh 
will wind up with all the business. 

Kudner handles the company’s 
radio-tv business; C & W its print 
ads. 


THAT 15% BITE 


A growing restiveness is be¬ 
coming evident in the relation¬ 
ship between clients and agencies 
along Madison Ave., a restiveness 
that may erupt into a fullscale 
battle involving millions of dol¬ 
lars in commissions and other 
agency charges. The coming 
battle—and vet agencymen see it 
as inevitable—will center on the 
matter of commiissions for tele¬ 
vision programs and will effect 
the entire situation as regards 
network control of programming. 

The root of the trouble is a 
growing feeling on the part of 
clients—particularly in light of 
the recent 4A's consent decree— 
that agencies are not entitled to. 
15% they collect for television 
programs which they do not pack¬ 
age. This feeling pertains to 
commissions on time charges as 
well. Simply for screening pro¬ 
grams and helping us to select 
one, and for placing our business, 
say the clients, the agency could 
very well get by with 7 1 / ->%. Or 
we can place our business direct 
sine? we make the final program 
choice. 

In fact, it's been bruited about 
for the past few months that 
some client shifts involved 
“deals” for lower commissions. 
These pricecuttlng tactics need 
hardly take the dangerous form 
of an outright cut in commission 
—top agencies would be foolhardy 
to jeopardize their relations with 
longstanding clients. But these 
“deals” can and often do take the 
form of hidden rebates; the 
agency, while collecting its 15%, 
can pay out of its own pocket a 
portion of the program charges 
or assume all costs of commercial 
production. Moreover, not only 
has the matter of “deals” been 
evident, but there’s a growing 
feeling clients that they can place 
their business direct. 

Not all the agencies are stand¬ 
ing still for this. Caught in a 
squeeze between a client who de¬ 
mands that the agency do some¬ 
thing to earn its commission by 
packaging or producing shows for 
the client and a situation where¬ 
in the agencies couldn’t get a 
show on the air if they wanted 
because of network control over 
programming, the percentaries 
are starting to exert some pres¬ 
sure of their own. There have 
been continual reports that it has 
been the agencies more than any 
other single group who Have been 
lobbying in Washington with 
Congress, the FCC and the Dept, 
of Justice with an eye toward get¬ 
ting antitrust action against the 
networks. If "the agencies can 
prove antitrust, they can justify 
themselves before their clients, 
for one thing, and get back into 
the producing business, for an¬ 
other. 

There’s one other element that* 
enters the picture, namely, that 
of the cost of equipping an 
agency with a production staff. 
Many commission houses claim 
that they can’t come out on pro¬ 
gram production at a 15% bite, 
that the commission must be 
higher for them to break even on 
(Continued on page 40) 


HY GARDNER CALLING’ 
SOLD FOR WRCA-TV 

After a session with the Lou 
Cowan office and no sale, Hy Gard¬ 
ner has recouped his own “Hy 
Gardner Calling” video' package 
and finally sold it solo to WRCA- 
TV, New York. The N. Y. Herald 
Tribune columnist tees off in the 
Sunday ll:30-midnight slot on 
April 29, with American Airlines, 
the Latin Quarter (N. Y.) and the 
Ambassador Hotels International 
(Dominican Republic) as partici¬ 
pating sponsors. 

This Friday (6) marks Gardner’s 
finale on WPIX, N. Y., where' he 
showcased sans sponsorship. He is 
taking a three-week hiatus by doc¬ 
tor’s order before the shift to the 
NBC flagship in N. Y. 


4 ‘ 


TV ‘Doesn’t Move Cars?’ Them’s 


Fightin’ Words, 


Emmy in R^d 

Hollywood, April 3. 
Initial returns show that Acad¬ 
emy of TV Arts and Sciences 
, is going to come out about 
$1,200 in the red on the March 
17 Emmy ceremonies, accord¬ 
ing to dinner chairman Robert 
Longenecker. Receipts will 
apparently be that far short of 
the $8,000 cost of renting, 
decorating and catering the 
Pan Pacific aud affair here, as 
well as costs of making up 
various statuettes and plaques. 

Last year, Emmy cere¬ 
monies at Moulin Rouge res¬ 
taurant here made the Acad¬ 
emy a profit. The $30,000 fee 
from NBC-TV for telecasting 
the event will offset the defi¬ 
cit, but coin represents major 
part of Academy’s operating 
budget for the entire year. 

Emmy’s Back On 
The TV Shelf But 
Gripes Linger On 

Hollywood, April 3. 
The annual Emmy Awards (held 
March 17) may be over, but the 
squawks aren’t. 

Writers Guild of America West 
has sent the Academy of Television 
Arts & Sciences a strongly-worded 
letter of protest over the way tv 
writers were "sloughed off” at the 
awards, while Emmy winner Paul 
Gregory disclosed he was so “em¬ 
barrassed” at receiving an award 
which he felt should have gone to 
Herman Wouk he walked out with¬ 
out even accepting. 

WGAW in its letter to the Acad 
complained about the writers re¬ 
ceiving their awards on the closed- 
circuit. not national, telecast. Same 
thing happened last year and the 
Guild was told it was an over¬ 
sight but the Guild said in its let¬ 
ter it found it hard to believe it 
was an oversight two years run¬ 
ning. Writers feel they’re impor¬ 
tant enough to rate inclusion in 
the national telecast. 

WGA East shares the writer 
grumbling, being considerably an¬ 
noyed over the fact when Rod Serl- 
ing went up to get his award for 
“Patterns,” there was no one to 
present it to him. 

WGAW, in a bulletin sent mem¬ 
bers the past weekend, complained 
about Gregory, producer of the tv 
version of “Caine Mutiny Court- 
martial,” and Franklin Schaffner, 
its director, receiving an Emmy for 
the tv adaptation, asserting the 
credit belonged to Wouk, author 
of “The Caine Mutiny” and the 
legit version of “CMCM.” 

Guild said it met long ago with 
(Continued on page 40) 

WNEW Program Shuffle 
As Bill Kemp Exits 

WNEW, N. Y. radio indie, has 
shuffled its program schedule 
around among key staffers to close 
up the vacancies left by Bill Kemp* 
who ankled the station last week 
because there were “certain things 
we couldn't get together on,” a sta¬ 
tion spokesman noted. Kemp had 
9:30 to 10 ayem and noon to one 
cross-the-boarders, latter being a 
live music stanza. 

Klavan and Finch get a half- 
hour added to their early ayem 
stint, so that they now extend to 
10. Bill Williams, who until now 
only handled platter spinning, will 
do Kemp’s live show at noon, with 
the help of singer Bill Hardington. 
and Roy Ross’s band. Dick Shepard 
will assume the Williams vacancy 
at 1 p.m. 

Bob Howard, the newest WNEW 
staffer—a former New Orleans 
gabber—will host “Sunday Sere¬ 
nade,” from 5:35 to 7:30 p.m. 


Prexy Jones Finds 

MacManus, John & Adams agen¬ 
cy prez Ernest Jones brought the 
brickbats of wrath down on him¬ 
self from three diverse sources this 
week following his statement last 
Friday (30) that television is inef¬ 
fective as a “prime” medium for 
“durable” goods. Jones, whose 
agency handles Pontiac and Cadil¬ 
lac, claimed that video doesn’t 
move cars. But the Television Bu¬ 
reau of Advertising, a competing 
automaker and a film syndicator, 
moved quickly to the rebuttal with 
a diversity of arguments. 

TvB president Ollie Treyz 
charged that Jones based his criti¬ 
cism of tv “on experience which 
simply doesn’t exist” and offered 
a suggestion that “he refrain from 
c iticizing tv as a ‘prime’ medium 
until he uses it that way.” Dodge 
v.p. Jack Minor said tv is too pay¬ 
ing off as a prime medium, with 
dealers reporting that customers 
mention Dodge commercials when 
they buy and often commenting on 
whether they like the blurbs. Mi¬ 
nor also pointed out that the meas¬ 
ure of video’s worth is not in the 
number of families who run out lo 
buy a car after seeing commercials 
but in actual sales levels. And Ziv 
Television Programs reported that 
local dealer sponsorship of its tele¬ 
films is up 17% in the past year. 
Ziv statement didn’t refer to the 
Jones hassle, but its implication 
was clear. 

Treyz declared that Jones’ “dura¬ 
ble goods clients have used tele¬ 
vision as a supplementary and not 
a ‘primary’ medium,” pointing out 
that “we certainly- don’t question' 
anyone’s right to criticize televi¬ 
sion, but when that criticism is 
based on first-hand experience, we 
feel that the experience should 
justify the criticism.” Treyz took 
up other points: the statement that 
television lacks “selectivity,” re¬ 
plying that the “mass-produced 
and mass-bought” auto market "is 
broader and less selective than- 
most package-goods markets, in¬ 
cluding cigarets” and that “more 
families drive and buy automobiles 
than smoke cigarets”; and that “be¬ 
fore Mr. Jones entertains further 
ideas of downgrading television on 
the ground that ‘the public’s honey¬ 
moon with television is over,’ per¬ 
haps he would like to reflect on 
the evidence which proves that 
the honeymoon is maturing into 
the happiest marriage that any 
medium has ever” enjoyed with the 
American public . . . indicated by 
the Nielsen-documented fact that 
(Continued on page 38) 


Monroe Exits In 
Mutual Shuffle 

Two of the three top executive 
posts at Mutual Broadcasting are 
expected to be affected within the 
next few weeks. Jack Poor, who is 
exec veep in charge of the radio 
network, is reported taking over as 
president, and veep-program chief 
Bob Monroe is quitting, probably 
for a job as a film producer (hot 
with RKO Teleradio), it was 
learned from another source. 

If the Poor promotion goes 
through, it will leave Tom O’Neil, 
who as boss of RKO Tel also serves 
as prexy-chairman of the network, 
with only the chairmanship. Move 
is being contemplated to ^increase 
Poor’s stature even further within- 
the RKO empire. 

* Monroe, program chief for about 
a year, shaved the network’s opera¬ 
tional costs by several hundred 
thousand dollars, a network source ■ 
declared. When Monroe goes, his 
“companionate radio” (“Standby” 
series) will probably end shortly 
thereafter. It’s said that the net¬ 
work will have something new to 
offer affiliate-stations shortly. Mon¬ 
roe’s departure is believed entirely 
of his own volition, in order to get 
into film production. The third 
key post at Mutual will not' be 
touched, that being Harry Tren- 
ner’s sales vicepresidency. 











28 


RADIO-TELEVISION 


P'SkTEty 


So. Cal. Radios $15,000,000 Business 
In ’55, New Highs Already on Tap 


By LEO KOVNER 

Hollywood, April 3. 

"They tried to kill radio, but it 
■won’t die.” summed up Howard 
Gray, station manager of KGIL, 

San Fernando, as the Southern 
California broadcasting industry 
ventured into what promises to 
be its most profitable year. 

Expectations voiced last August 
were that L.A. area radio alone 
would gross an alltime high of 
$15,000,000 during 1955. This fig¬ 
ure has been pretty well realized 
and income registered for the first 
months of this year are running 
far ahead of like 1955 months, in¬ 
dicating an even larger gross for 
1956. 

Local trade group, Southern 
California Broadcasters Assn., 
has compiled a survey from 
a m o n g its member-stations, 
released last week. In L.A. area 
alone, average station gross rose 
34% during 1955, survey shows. , 

(Rise in all 10 Southern California f« n f |?ao|I o SbllflarH 
counties covered showed an over--l-^« u 1 ucau a uUUltiaiU 


all hike of 24%, according to sur¬ 
vey). 

But going into 1956, a spot check 
conducted by Variety shows a 
continuing local radio boom, with 
advertisers apparently foregoing 
the normal post-Yule holiday hi¬ 
atus. KMPC, Hollywood, reports a 
whopping 52% hike in January, 
over Jan., 1955; KWKW, Pasadena, 
50%, KBIG, Avalon, 45% for Jan. 
and Feb.; KFAC, L.A., 23 r /r; and 
KGIL, 20%. Other stations, already 
running close to capacity, report 
lesser gains, with KIF. L.A., NBC 
affiliate, registering a solid 8% and 
KLAG, Hollywood, prominent d.j. 
outlet 8 to 10%. 

Although station toppers, flush 
from a round of rate hikes last 
years, are reluctant to air the 
topic, indications are that local and 
rational sponsors are in for anoth¬ 
er series of boosts hereabouts. 
KNX, CBS o&o, has put in a 10% 
hike as of last January. Cal Smith, 
KFAC topper, neatly sums up his 
station’s position and inferentially, 
that of some others. KFAC has a 
waiting list of prospective clients 
and a strict policy of limiting 
plugs. Under these conditions, the 
station can’t increase revenue 
without resorting to higher rates. 

KFI’s Charlie Hamilton dis¬ 
claims immediate plans, but leaves 
the door open with a careful, ‘‘It 
might come to pass.” KLAC, 
KBIG and KWKW all are reported 
to be seriously considering the 
matter. 

Further indication of the rosy 
broadcasting picture in this vicin¬ 
ity is the fact, reported in the 
SCBA survey, that station income 
has consistently risen since 1949. 
(In other words, through the 
worst of tv competition). Average 
annual gross hike has been 16%, 
showing that stations have dou¬ 
bled their revenues during the 
past six years. 

Still another facet of the'1955 
SCBA survey shows that the ra¬ 
dio industry in Southern Califor¬ 
nia currently employs some 1,200 
fulltime workers, with an annual 
payroll of over $7,700,000.' 

Programming on the local in¬ 
dies continues in the music-news 
sports vein, but with a trend to¬ 
ward added ingredients to deter¬ 
mine one station from another. In 


Sacks Combining Wedding 
Trip With RCA Business 

RCA v.p. Manie Sacks has 
switched his original plans to ac¬ 
company the Grace Kelly wedding 
party to Monaco aboard the 
U.S.S. Constitution today (Wed.) 
and will instead fly over April 12 
to attend,the wedding ceremonies. 
Sacks and the Kelly family are old 
Philadelphia friends. 

Sacks will combine the overseas 
hop with business stopovers in 
Spain, Rome, Switzerland, London, 
and Paris to o.o. RCA’s subsid and 
affiliate operations in the various 
countries. Sacks is conferring 
with A1 Watters, RCA Interna¬ 
tional v.p., this week after the lat¬ 
ter’s return from a Florida vaca¬ 
tion. Sacks plans to be back in 
the U. S. by April 26. 


TV Contract Without 
A Battery of Lawyers 

Complete field of television 
legal negotiations and contracts is 
covered in a new manual published 
by the Practicing Law Institute un¬ 
der the title "Television Agree¬ 
ments.” With the growing com¬ 
plexity of the television field pro¬ 
viding more and more headaches 
to the legalites, the PLI has laid 
out sample contracts for perform¬ 
ers and packages, has covered the 
union, agency and copyright as¬ 
pects of tv pacts and has also in¬ 
cluded edited transcriptions of the 
PLI’s course on radio-tv law. 

Transcriptions of panel sessions 
from the courses, moderated by 
David M. Solinger (Solinger & 
Gordon), counsel to Foote, Cone & 
Belding, includes comments by 
George Elber of Davis & Gilbert; 
W. Spencer Harrison, CBS-TV legal 
v.p.; Henry Jaffe of Jaffe & Jaffe; 
Jack Katz, General Artists Corp. 
counsel; Robert A. Dreyer, Du¬ 
Mont Broadcasting counsel; Mich- 
chael \Halperin of Wilzin & Hal- 
perin; James R. Schule of Tomp¬ 
kins, Boal & Tompkins and Leon¬ 
ard H. Steibel of Smith & Steibel. 

Contents include clause-by- 
clause coverage of a performer 
contract and a package con¬ 
tract, excerpts from the AFTRA 
Code and Standard AFTRA En¬ 
gagement Contract, obligations of 
performer, producer and sponsor, 
ownership of title and material, 
rate and computation of payments, 
use of records, transcripts and 
kinescopes, sponsor’s right to can¬ 
cel or suspend, producer’s right to 
terminate or reinstate, artist’s fail¬ 
ure to perform, ad lib risks, morals 
clause, summer hiatus, radio and 
motion picture rights and others. 
Also included are discussions on 
the matter of performer exclusiv¬ 
ity and sponsor control over scripts 
and program policy. 


Rousseau Tagged As 

‘Fireside’ Producer 


rect a feature film at Columbia 
Rousseau has been a tv sci’ipter 
and produced a few "Public De¬ 
fender” telefilms for Hal Roach Jr. 


Hollywood, April 3. 

, William P. Rousseau is the new 
some cases, the stations have con- i producer of the Jane Wyman vid- 
centrated on developing personal-1 pix ser ies, “Fireside Theatre,” for 
itics (which has sometimes back-; Lewman Productions, replacing 
iired, with the personalities de-1 william Asher, who resigned to dl 
mandmg more coin with increased ! rp ,. t a film at nninmbia 

popularity). Still another program¬ 
ming trend, especially notable dur¬ 
ing the past year, is the develop¬ 
ment of service features. Many sta¬ 
tions now make a great point of 
hourly weather and traffic bulle¬ 
tins, of five-minute news capsules, 
while others have gone in for an 
intensive local news kick, main¬ 
taining extensive nows staffs. 

To cater to a large Spanish- : grounds by grabbing off Hank War- 
American population, other st;i-, ner, who moves to ABC April 9 as 
t'ons, including KWKW within the; director of press information. War- 
?/ww>» y o ar .' s,lifu 'd , 10 nearly i ] ler W as at CBS for a3 years, as 

ml?' Qrn an ;? h "! , ? n i K . UaK0 bn,a .' lca ; st - copy chief and latterly as man- 
haVC ! -? 0110 apor ojC operations. A1 Scton, pub- 

.pccialized music, while hi Ot . ]i c it y manager at ABC, m ves up 

tP ch-fi ,a 0 ai in to assistant director of p.i. under 

more Drosaic^KFVD CtU ' JS: lr ° m • Warnt ' r - with the latter as No. 2 
more p rosaic K * VD ‘ _; man to Foster in the flackery 

San Antonio—"Quiz ’Em On The Stt T U , P ‘ , . . 

Air” has made its bow here on i „ Just a couple of days earlier, 
KENS-TV and KENS Radio each j ^h'r had hired another of his ex- 


Fun (?) in Chi 

Chicago,.April 3. 

WBBM gabber Paul Gib¬ 
son, who has built up a big 
hausfrau following with his 
sardonic, sometimes grumpy, 
comments re the foibles of 
life, clashed swords on the air 
one morning last week with 
the Columbia station’s as¬ 
sistant general manager Ernie 
Shomo. Latter had suggested 
Gibson give the time and tem¬ 
peratures at regular intervals. 
Suggestion didn’t set will with 
Mr. G. and after lambasting 
the bossman he invited his 6 
a.m. listeners to call in their 
protests. 

Phone number he gave out 
was for Shomo’s suburban 
residence. 


State-by-State Study 
On ‘Freedom of Access’ 
Launched by NARTB 

NARTB is beginning an all-out 
push to get radio ajnd tv "freedom 
of access” to courtrooms. Group’s 
Freedom of .Information Commit¬ 
tee is- taking the first step by doing 
a state by state survey to measure 
the amount of accessibility to the 
courtrooms by broadcasters. 

Org also plans to work with 
Sigma Delta Chi, the national pro¬ 
fessional journalism fraternity, on 
the matter. NARTB plans to co¬ 
ordinate with SDC and the Ameri¬ 
can Society of Newspaper Editors, 
plus other national professional 
groups in mass communications, 
on “problems of mutual concern.” 
SDC suggested that there be an 
annual conclave of the three or¬ 
ganizations "to initiate and co¬ 
ordinate a cooperative attack on 
the freedom of information prob¬ 
lems and project? at the national 
and state levels,” and NARTB 
agreed. 

Survey of courtroom amena¬ 
bility to tv and'radio will be han¬ 
dled in 33 states by the State 
Broadcaster Assn. Freedom of 
Info groups and in the rest of the 
U. S. by presidents of the state 
assn’s. 


Silver Apple Trophies To 
Mary Martin, Peggy Wood 

Hartford, April 3. 

Now it’s the teacher giving ap¬ 
ples—that is, silver apples to per¬ 
formers. 

Mary Martin and tv actress 
Peggy Wood are among several 
notables slated to receive silver 
apples from the Connecticut Edu¬ 
cation Association for their con¬ 
tributions to Connecticut education. 
The aw'ards are restricted to Con¬ 
necticut residents. 

The accolades will be delivered 
at the special awards banquet of 
the education body on May 12 at 
the Hotel Statler here. 


DeRussy, McGredy Get 
WCAU Promotions 

Philadelphia, April 3. 

John S. deRussy and Robert M. 
McGredy, directors of sales for 
radio and television, respectively, 
for WCAU, have been elected vee- 
pees, it was announced by Donald 
W. Thornburgh, president and gen¬ 
eral manager. 

DeRussy and McGredy both 
joined the executive sales staffs in 
May, 1950. Prior to that deRussy 
j was manager of NBC National Spot 
; Sal£s, New York, while McGredy 
: was assistant director of the Broad- 
’ cast Advertising Bureau. 


Hank Warner to ABC 

ABC’s ad-pub v.p,, Mike Foster, 
made his major first raid last week 
his old CBS Press hunting 


Saturday for a half-hour. Lcc.d 
high school students participate in 
the quiz shows based on current 
events. 


aides at Columbia, Art Danashon, 
who became copy chief at ABC, 
succeeding Don Higgins, now han¬ 
dling program publicity. 


Nag-Happy CBS 

CBS has wrapped up exclusive 
television rights to a string of nine 
I top horseraces including the 
Triple Crown (Kentucky Derby, 
Preakness and Belmont Stakes) 
and will air the races via radio and 
television kicking off April 21 
and ending Sept. 1 on Saturday 
afternoons, Gillette Razor Co., 
which has been a regular bank- 
roller of the Triple Crown events,.! 
has bought in on the Kentucky 
Derby sponsorship already but 
hasn’t indicated whether it will go 
along on the other two events. 

Besides the Triple Crown, other 
events slated for coverage are the 
Wood Memorial, the Withers and 
| Brooklyn Handicap at Jamaica, the 
j Carter Handicap at Belmont and 
■ the Saratoga Handicap and the 
! Hopeful at Saratoga. John Derr 
will produce and direct radio cov¬ 
erage while Judson Bailey dittoes 
for video.. 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


From the Production Centres 

■ ■ —- Continued from page 26 ^ 

judge on April 8 of a debate b.etween Dartmouth U. and inmates of 
the Mass. State prison in Walpole. Topic is; "Should colleges continue* 
co-education?” . . . Carl Moore gets a new program in WEEi; "Carl 
Moore Remembers” 6:30-6:45 Mon. thru Fri. following big rush of 
fan mail for his “Beantown Matinee” . . . Priscilla Fortescue, WEEI’s 
traveling reporter, filled a request from Carol King of WCAX, Burling¬ 
ton, Vt., for tapes of interviews she made in Germany’s Black Forest 
last year . . . Rev. Norman O’Connor, C. S. P., Catholic Chaplain at 
Boston U., and jazz authority, did an hour interview with Carmen Mc¬ 
Rae, appearing at Storyville, George Wein’s “jazz palace, over WGBH- 
FM Sat. (31) p.m. 

Jim Pike, film director WNAC-TV, getting kudos for his special 
Channel 7 film project, "River of Life,” produced and directed by H. 
Jeff Forbes, supervisor of special film projects, which snowed how 
plasma and whole blood were instrumental in saving the lives of per¬ 
sons injured in the recent north shore train wreck. "River” debuted 
Mon. (26) with Gus Saunders narrator. On-location scenes were shot 
at Boston City Hospital where staff members reenacted acted shock 
procedure with actor patients . . . Alan Dary, new disk jock at WBZ, 
offered $25 worth of platters to first person phoning from west of Mis¬ 
sissippi and got first call from Waterloo, Iowa, second from San Diego, 
Cal. 

IN WASHINGTON . . . 

Charles Macatee switched from tv production assistant of WMAL- 
ABC to head' of station’s radio promotion. Jim Christenat, of station 
staff, has been made tv production manager for WMAL, replacing Phil 
Melillo, who will head staff of tv directors . . . WTOP-CBS debuts a new 
tv "Chapel of the Air” next Sunday <8), featuring weekly 30-minute 
services conducted by Protestant chaplains assigned by Office of Chief 
of Chaplains, U. S. Air Force . . . CBS’radio public affairs show, “Capitol 
Cloakroom,” teed off ninth year on air last week, with time slot switch¬ 
ing to Mondays, 9:30 p.m. . . . Local viewers voted overwhelmingly for 
extension of Daylight Time in write-in poll conducted by ABC news¬ 
man Brysan Rash . . . U. S. Civil Defense Amateur Radio Alliance, 
organized last year, has skedded its first annual conference at Federal 
Civil Defense h.q. here at week’s end. 

IN PHILADELPHIA . . . 

Earl Selby, Evening Bulletin columnist, now doing five minute Mon.- 
Fri. WCAU newscast in addition to his cross-the-board WCAU-TV 
five-minute session . . . Newsreel cameraman Harold Hodgman has re¬ 
joined the WFIL-TV staff . . . Hy Lit added to WHAT and doubling on 
"Platter Party” with Charlie O’Donnell . . . Benn Squires, WRCV-TV 
producer-director, marks ninth anni with station (3) . . . Convention 
Hall (13,000 seater) jammed for Dodge-sponsored Lawrence Welk con¬ 
cert, with several thousands turned away . . . Jan Clayton visited spon¬ 
sor, Campbell’s Soups, and met press (26) . . . Alan Scott, emcee of 
“Let Scott Do It” and "Scott and the Mechanical Map” inked to new 
two-year contract by WRCV-TV . . . Bill Givens, WRCV farm director, 
preemed early morning session (5:45-6 a.m.) "Farmer’s Almanac” (2) 
. . . General Precision Laboratories installed a closed-circuit tv hook¬ 
up to handle overflow of congregation at Easter services of the First 
Presbyterian Church . . . Taylor Grant, WRCV-TV newscaster nar¬ 
rated mammoth Boy Scout kickoff rally at the Academy of Music 

IN MINNEAPOLIS . . . 

WTCN already has inked a bankroller, Twin City Federal Saving & 
Loan, for its play-by-play broadcasts of U. of Minnesota football next 
fall. At least five other Twin Cities’ radio stations also will air the 
contests ... As the result of a more than $14,000 grant from the Fund 
for the Advancement of Education, use of tv as an educational tool will 
be tested in a three-year research program being set up in the U. of 
Minnesota education college. Program calls for high school teachers* 
experimental training through use of closed circuit video . . . Two for¬ 
mer WTCN announcers, Max Henderson and Curt Edwards, received 
district court severance pay awards of $1,187.95 and $1,690.66, respec¬ 
tively, despite the fact that when their WTCN employment terminated 
they were immediately engaged by the station’s purchaser ... In his 
haste to claim a radio station’s $128 cash giveaway which he heafrd 
over his car radio. Robert Smith, a motorist, crashed through a plate 
glass window and nearly lost one of his ears. He won the money, how¬ 
ever . . . F. Van Konynenburg, WCCO-TV and Radio vice-president and 
video general manager, personally donated a 21-inch color tv set to 
the U. of Minnesota to be made available to faculty and students for 
program study and evaluation. 

US SAN FRANCISCO ... 

Nice step up for Dave McElhatton to the announcing job on the KCBS- 
California Columbia "Masters of Melody” show . . . Bill Adams has 
departed KGO to become commentator for the California Farm Bu¬ 
reau Federation . . . KQED’s starting a $127,500 sponsorship campaign 
which the Gross & Roberts flaekery will produce. Part of the money 
will be used to move educational station’s transmitter from the top of 
the Mark Hopkins Hotel to a snot ensuring broader Frisco area coverage 
. . . Jules Dundes, KCBS general manager, has been named boss of the 
Frisco United Crusade’s ^public relations program . . . Frank Cope, 
KJBS deejay, is mending after a heart attack . . . KLX, the Know- 
lands’ Oakland radio station, is moving to new quarters . . .Thomas G. 
Mallen has been named an account exec at KFRC . . . KPIX telecast 
Easter sunrise services from Mt. Davidson and KYA handled the radio¬ 
cast . . . Martha Conner has switched to radio-TV in the Frisco office 
of J. Walter Thompson. 

IN CLEVELAND . . . 

Eye-appealing Jean Hughes doing commercials for Jo Potaro show 
fed to WTVN and seen Tuesday and Sunday on WXEL .. . . KYW 
manager Gordon Davis won Paris trip as outstanding Westinghouse 
program head last year . . . WEWS broke ground for its new quarters 
(30) . . . Walt Kaye gets 15-minute daily stint on-WDOK . . .WPVL 
is area’s newest outlet scheduled to hit the airwaves 23d . . . Carl 
George, WGAR manager, named director-vice president of Cleveland 
Rotary . . . Bob Bouwsma exiting KYW announcing staff for freelance 
circuit . . . Chuck Step, WEWS, commissioned second lieutenant in 
U. S. Signal Corps . . . Jim Doney pacted to do five-minute Greyhound 
WXEL Weather pitch . . . KYW-TV hostess Elaine Brandt conducting 
"Voting Age at 18” contest for teenagers . . . Ted Anthony, WXEL, 
recovering from heart attack. 

IN PITTSBURGH ... 

Ed Schaughency being relieved of his fleejay hours at KDKA radio 
by Art-Pallan, has been appoihted director of community service for 
the station and its tv affiliate, Channel 2 . . . Mival Harvey, of WCAE 
staff, rushed to hospital for emergency appendectomy . . . Hilary Bog- 
den subbing for Beckley Smith on WJAS while newscaster is in Hunt¬ 
ington, W. Va., settling father’s estate . . . John Kulamcr named to 
KDKA radio news staff with resignation of Ray Watterkoltc, former 
Post-Gazette reporter, to go with Bond-Starr advertising agency . . . 
Dick McNamara, cameraman at KDKA-TV for last three years, left 
•to join NBC-T.V staff in New York i . , » 




Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


PSttlETY 


TELEVISION REVIEWS 


29 


Tele Follow-Up Comment 
■ »♦♦»♦♦♦♦»♦♦»♦♦♦ »♦♦♦»♦♦♦»♦♦♦♦♦♦♦ 


Kraft TV Theatre 
If any show to date rated the 
“spectacular” tag, it was the hour- 
lonc adaptation of Walter Lord’s 
non-fiction bestseller ‘‘A Night To 
Remember, on the NBC - TV 
‘‘Kraft Television Theatre" last 
Wednesday night. This, show, a 
documentary-like dramatization of 
the sinking of the S.S. Titanic, 
was in substance video s declara¬ 
tion that it could handle any job, 
no matter how vast the canvas or 
complex the details—and handle 


it live. 

The Kraft stanza was a brilliant 
feat from any angle. As sheer 
story-telling, its re-creation of the 
tragic sinking was clearly superior 
to the several Hollywood film pro¬ 
ductions framed around the same 
theme. The George Roy Hill-John 
Whedon tv adaptation hewed only 
to the facts and these were sus¬ 
penseful and harrowing enough to 
make the commercials, for once, 
a welcome breathe^ 


Despite the fact that the Titan- 
Ks sinking is well-known, this tv 
show gave it a fresh and powerful 
impact chiefly because it complete¬ 
ly avoided the temptations of senti¬ 
mentality. 

The story-telling was so com¬ 
pelling that the mammoth scenic 
apparatus underlying this stanza 
could easily have been overlooked. 
That’s as it should be since the 
technique was only a means to the 
dramatic end. The physical frame¬ 
work for this show, however, was 
noteworthy for its scope and in¬ 
tricacy, which made it all the more 
remarkable that this show was shot 
live without a single miscue. 

Over 100 performers were di¬ 
rected by George Rdy Hill through 
some 31 shipboard settings, de¬ 
signed with unstinting realism by 
Duane McKinney. The camera 
swung from the crow’s nest to the 
third-class quarters, from the 
bridge to the engine room, from 
the staterooms to the radio shack, 
from stem to stern in a way that 
vitally established the dramatic 
actuality of the S.S. Titanic in its 
Inst hours. 


But most important, the show 
succeeded as a human document. 
The opening act depicted the in¬ 
terplay of error and negligence 
that resulted in the captain’s fail¬ 
ure to heed several iceberg warn¬ 
ings. And after the ship was struck, 
the show’s tempo mounted fast. 
Skillful interlacing of camera 
shots from every quarter of the 
ship delineated the initial con¬ 
fidence in the ship's unsinkability 
and then captured the varied 
moods of resignation, panic, cow¬ 
ardice and heroism as the truth 
became known. The show pulled no 
punches. The trapping of several 
hundred third-class passengers, 
including women, and children, 
below decks was spotlighted in 
wincing fashion. So were several 
other details, including the escape 
of the ship line’s head and the 
failure to fill all of the lifeboats 
to capacity . despite their, inade¬ 
quate number. 

Claude Rains was excellent as 
narrator, his script hitting the right 
note of questioning and moralizing. 
The large cast of players within 
the actual drama playecktheirjjarts 
to the hilt. Hem. 


Omnibus 

For its final effort of the cur¬ 
rent season CBS-TV’s “Omnibus" 
whipped up a stirring reenactment 
of the Army’s 1925 court-martial 
of Col. Billy Mitchell. Of the 90- 
minute Sunday (1) show, some 60 
minutes were devoted' to a fine 
script by E. J. Kahn which pain¬ 
stakingly sifted the original trial 
record and jelled it into an ab¬ 
sorbing dramatization. 

Cast of some 45 players, headed 
by James Daly as Mitchell, ably 
portrayed the top brass and other 
dignitaries of the mid ’20s who 
participated in the two-month trial. 
They were aided by topdrawer 
Physical values which viewers have 
come to expect from the TV-Radio 
Workshop of' the Ford Foundation, 
Omnibus" producer. 

Of course, there will be the in¬ 
evitable comparisons with “the 
u- ri J. er ® ros - version of the trial 
'"id i', k as Gary Cooper as Mitchell. 
But it would appear that the tv re¬ 
enactment will aid rather than 
ninder the current Cooper release 
for there’s the natural impulse to 
see the film to observe at first 
J , ust how Hollywood handled 
the subject, 

F °r that matter “Omnibus" em- 
Alistair Cooke sagaciously 
i program's windup that 

Mitch ell. was being tried for insub¬ 
ordination and as far as other as- 
ill concerned the viewer 

could form his own opinion on the 
?f sls Pf what he had just seen. It 
seemed obvious, however, that the 
verdict of guilty came entirely be¬ 


cause of Mitchell's outspoken at¬ 
tempts to have’an Air Force set up 
apart from Navy or Army inter¬ 
ference. 

Stanza’s first half-hour was a 
first-rate film, “How the F-100 Got 
Its Tail,” depicting a day in the 
life of a supersonic test pilot at 
Edwards Air Force Base, Calif. 
Excellent footage, lensed in docu¬ 
mentary fashion; showed how Maj. 
Stuart R. Childs corrected faults 
in tail assemblies of Super Sabre- 
jets by a hazardous test flight. 

r'tiu 


Wide Wide World 

Perhaps all the poetry of the 
arrival of spring wasn’t realized 
on the NBC-TV exposition of the 
event on Sunday’s (1) edition of 
“Wide Wide World” but it did 
manage to indicate the variety of 
meanings and celebrations of the 
vernal rites in many parts of the 
country. 

As the show pointed out, spring 
means a lot of things to a lot of 
people. For some, like the Coast 
Guard off Massachusetts, it means 
the installation of new marking 
buoys. To the natives of Natchez, 
it means reliving the past with a 
pageant at an antebellum estate. 
But at Palisades Amusement Park, 
N. J., and the N. Y. Botanical Gar¬ 
dens show reached closer to the 
truer meaning of the annual spring 
rites. . In the former joy. was reg¬ 
istered in a lot of young faces, 
and the profusion of flowers at the 
latter point gave an indication of 
what nature had been saving up 
during the long winter. 

However, “World” tries too much 
for odd effects, some of which do 
not come off. But the show must 
be commended for -trying. Place¬ 
ment of a camera in a helicopter 
for photographing the placement 
of the marker buoy shook up the 
pictures to such an extent that the 
trick had to be abandoned. The 
camera in a roller-coaster at Pal¬ 
isades lost out entirely. 

An experimental farm which 
conducts tests on elements that aid 
growth also demonstrated a facet 
in which man tries to aid nature. 
At New Mexico there was an ac¬ 
count of the Acoma Indians in 
their elevated city. 

Of course, since the show came 
on Easter Sunday, there had to be 
the inevitable looksee into femme 
fashions, which took' place on the 
Atlantic City Boardwalk, where 
judging of women’s hats took place. 
It seemed like an appropriate bit 
of springtime fluff. The purposes 
of the gender at the various birds 
of prey at a Florida animal farm 
seemed obscure. The- show'ended 
with a note of reverence with a 
choir voicing the religious aspect 
of the day. Jose. 


Alcoa Hour 

Unlike Hollywood, television 
doesn’t seem to have any qualms 
about using a typically Jewish 
character as the central figure of 
a play. “Finkle’s Comet,” offered 
On the Alcoa Hour on NBC-TV 
Sunday (1), .told a gentle and 
amusing fairytale about Morris 
Finkle, a candystore owner on the 
lower East side, who discovered a 
planet by training his amateur 
telescope out of his backwindow 
“across Monaghan’s empty back 
yard.” 

Script by Herman Raucher 
wasn’t aiming for much more 
than a pleasant diversion and it 
achieved that goal. • “Finkle’s 
Comet,” peopled by unreal people, 
had a charm of its own, and it was 
greatly helped by a sock perform¬ 
ance by David Opatoshu in the 
role of the unassuming Finkle 
whose sudden fame overwhelmed 
him. 

It was something of a tour-de- 
force for Opatoshu, and he han¬ 
dled his assignment admirably, 
without overdrawing the charac¬ 
ter.,. As his “sidekick,” playing a 
temperamental painter, Hans Con- 
ried struggled with his accent, but 
managed to be reasonably funny. 

In the smaller parts, Norman 
Feld seemed at ease as Finkle’s 
future son-in-law, and Lenka Pet¬ 
erson was pretty as the daughter. 
Henry Lascoe etched a sympathetic 
portrait of Minsky, the softdrink 
man, and Donald Marye and Rey¬ 
nolds Evans injected the necessary 
note of humor in their roles of 
astronomers who first marvel at 
Finkle’s discovery and then find 
that his comet has been around be¬ 
fore and is destined to disappear 
again, which it does. 

Betty Furness stepped out of her 
perennial role as a saleslady\for 
Westinghouse and appeared in 
this one as a tv reporter doing a 
show' on Finkle. It was a funny 
bit, and as usual, Miss Furness 
brought to it her accustomed ef¬ 
ficiency. Dora Weisman had an in- 
(Continued on page 40) 


OUTLOOK 

With Chet Huntley, David Brink- 

ley, W. W. Chaplin, John Chan¬ 
cellor, Randall Jesse, Bill Guy- 

man 

Producer: Reuven Frank 
Director: Jack Sughrue 
30 Mins.; Sun., 2:30 p.m. 

NBC-TV, from N. Y, 

Just what NBC-TV’s news de¬ 
partment had in mind when it was 
planning “Outlook" is difficult to 
imagine. It figured that the web 
would make another try for a 
“news-in-depth” program as its 
answer to CBS and Ed Murrow, 
with Chet Huntley as the person¬ 
ality counterpart to the. “Murrow 
influence” on the rival web. But 
the NBC press blury. speak of 
“Outlook" as a “hard news” show, 
which leads to the question of why 
the program was ever started in 
the first place. 

For hard news it was, plus some 
“soft” feature stuff. For the “hard 
news” portion, Huntley at the tail 
end of the show briefly surveyed 
world headlines and displayed a 
meaningless socalled “exclusive” 
telephoto shot of Cyprus’ Arch¬ 
bishop in exile, then switched to 
NBC regional correspondents W. 
W. Chaplin. John Chancellor, Ran¬ 
dall Jesse and Bill Guyman. The 
best they could offer was weather 
and murder stones. 

The rest of the program, fore 
and aft, was strictlv off the fea¬ 
ture story belt. Starter was a 
filmed" piece on the problems of 
atomic waste disposal, shot in 
Brookhaven, L. I., in Pittsburgh 
and • out at sea where cans of the 
waste are dumped. A rather stimu¬ 
lating story, but nothing pressing 
and certainly not for use as the 
show’s “lead” story in view of the 
explosive Page One issues of the 
day. Next was David Brinkley 
from Washington w’th a niece on 
retired and defeated Senators and 
Congressmen, all about why and 
how thev stick around Washington. 
So what? Next, a pickun of a two- 
years-old election speech by Sen. 
Eastland of Mississinni, the leader 
in the anti-inteeration fight. A 
timely and frightening piece, the 
only legitimate news piece of the 
show. Finally, the news roundup, 
and then a light feature on film 
on the Stalin disenchantment, 
showing what the Russian leaders 
must be up against in terms of 
physical work by a simulated strip¬ 
ping of all statues, matures, and 
references to George- Washington 
in the U.S. 

From the looks of the show, an 
awful lot of money must have gone 
into the making of it. and some¬ 
how, it seems a waste. If NBC 
wants to snend doueh in an effort 
to finallv find a foolproof method 
of television news presentation, or 
at least a stimulating or provoca¬ 
tive method, then why fool around 
with froth when there’s so much 
serious business to be covered. 
And why do it in a style that adds 
nothing to what’s already been 
proven sterile in the way of video 
presentation? 

What “Outlook” adds up to is 
nothing more than .an expensively 
trapped duplication of what’s gone 
before it in half-hour weekly form 
on the networks. The only differ¬ 
ence is the “hard news” regional 
pickups, and if the only thing they 
can bring forth is murder yarns, 
who needs it? Producer Reuven 
Frank, who did such a standout 
job on the web’s previous news- 
in-dephth stanza. “Background” be¬ 
fore that was dropped, ought to 
know better bv now. So should 
NBC. As for Huntley, he’s got the 
potential—a clipped, authoritative 
tone, though lacking in warmth— 
to become a video standout, but 
not in this framework. Chan. 


ACCENT 

With Bette Hayes, Bob Kerr, Bill 

Leeds, Mel Mains 
Director: Norman Bernauer 
1:1:45 p.m. Mons.-Fri. 

Participating 
WDAF-TV, Kansas City 

New program entry at WDAF- 
TV here is a ~three-quarter-hour 
spread beginning at 1 p.m. five 
days a week, designed with special 
interest for the homemaker and 
incorporating some notes of gen¬ 
eral interest. Featured on the 
show are Bette Hayes and Bob 
Kerr, who formerly were the crew 
handling the “Kitchen Klub,” now 
eliminated. 

In this format Miss Hayes ex¬ 
pands her material from cookery 
and kitchen items to homemaking 
in general, bringing in cakemak¬ 
ing, floor polishing, table settings, 
etc., where; formerly the emphasis 
was on recipes, gadgets an£ what- 
have-you. 

Program department also has in¬ 
cluded segments of more general 
appeal, including a stint by Mel 
Mains of the news department, and 
a brief weather roundup by Bill 
Leeds, also of the news depart¬ 
ment. • 

Tying it all together is Bob Kerr, 
in m.c. fashion, and this gives en¬ 
tree to public service items, such 
(Continued on page 38) 


AS THE WORLD TURNS 
With Helen Wagner, Don Mac- 

Lauglilin, Hal Studer, Rosemary 

Prinz, Ruth Warrick, Anne Burr, 

Les Damon, Bill Johnstone, 

Joyce Van Patten, others; Dan 

McCullough, announcer 
Producer: Charles Fisher 
Directors: Ted. Corday, Bill Howell 
Writers: Irna Phillips, Agnes Nixon 
30 Mins., Mon.-thru-Fri., 1:30 p.m. 
PROCTER & GAMBLE 
CBS-TV, from N. Y. 

(Benton & Bowles) 

If anybody got the idea that 
Procter & Gamble was pioneering 
something by sponsoring the first 
half-hour soap opera, they were 
greatly misinformed or mistaken. 
There is an advantage in doing the 
first of the 30-minute soapers, but 
it may not prove to be of enduring 
importance. Weighed against it, 
the disadvantage is emphatic in 
nature. As the first of its kind to 
reach beyond a quarter-hour, “As 
the World Turns” has the poten¬ 
tial, if only because of its size, of 
overwhelming the viewers and 
temporarily capturing their favor 
to a larger degree than its ante¬ 
cedents. But from the point of pro¬ 
gram content, 30 minutes simply 
require the writers to fill twice 
the usual amount of time with 
twice the usual amount of pap, as 
was so painfully evident in the 
proem (2) telecast. 

If P&G were interested in in¬ 
novations, it might have started by 
hiring a staff of writers which 
hadn’t remotely been connected 
with the old way of soap opera, a 
W’ay much exposed over the years 
to the worst of critical barbs. Vet¬ 
eran soap opera scribe Irna Phil¬ 
lips and Agnes Nixon, the team re¬ 
sponsible for the storyline, seemed 
to confuse quantity with quality. 

Depending on how they’re count¬ 
ed. the pair contrived six or seven 
plots and they all came out in the 
all-expository first program. Evi¬ 
dently, Misses Phillips and Nixon 
didn’t want to get caught short, as 
the problem of creating new' situ¬ 
ations got tougher wdth time. Not 
all of the cast members were in¬ 
troduced in the initial undertaking 
on Monday, but the viewer met 
Chris and Nancy Hughes, their 
three kids and a friend’s daughter, 
and it was through them that the 
future of the show was unravelled. 

The plots: (1) Penny Hughes, 
about 15 or 16, hates her mother 
Nancy; (2) Penny wants to go away 
for a week during spring vacation 
with friend’s daughter (her name 
sounded like Ellen Lowell), but 
Nancy won’t let her and the home- 
scrcener doesn’t learn why; (3) 
there is a grandfather, off on a 
farm someplace, for whom the 
Hugheses want to find a city home; 
(4) there is some planning to be 
done for the Hughes’ wedding anni¬ 
versary; (5) 18-year-old Don Hughes 
is in love, with a yet-to-be-seen 
20-year old girl name of Janice, 
and (6a) the Hughes’ friends Jim 
and Claire Lowell have been sepa¬ 
rated for a couple of years, while 
(6b) daughter Ellen is terribly mel¬ 
ancholy about the rift. These were 
all given equal importance in the 
script. 

There wasn’t much co-directors 
Bill Howell and Ted Corday had 
to do, it appeared; the actors had 
only to w'alk through their scenes 
by rote. Since none of the roles 
were demanding, it would be hard 
to judge the competency of the ac¬ 
tors. Helen Wagner and Don Mac- 
Laughlin appeared as Mrs. Hughes 
and her lawyer hubby; Rosemary 
Prinz as their problem-daughter 
Penny, Hal Studer as their 18-year 
old son. Don, and there were a 
couple of others seen; the remain¬ 
der of the dramatis personnae, 
including Ruth Warrick, as Mr. 
Hughes’ sister, to appear at a later 
date. Art. 


POLKA TIME 

With Bruno (Junior) Zielinski, 
Carolyn DeZurick, New Polonia 
Dancers (10), Stan Wolowic & 
Polka Chips (7) 

Producer-director: Dan Schuffman 
60 Minutes; Mon., 8:30 p.m. 

WBKB, Chicago 

Newest fad on Chicago television 
is these polka fests which like the 
recent deluge of local bowling 
shows may be overdoing a good 
thing. Nonetheless, this attrac¬ 
tively-mounted and well-staffed 
WBKB entry looks to have an ex¬ 
cellent chance of copping the lion's 
share of the specialized fandom. 
Big plus from the visual standpoint 
is the New Polonia Dancers who, 
as regulars, serve up some nice 
examples of the polka "art,” and 
the guesting terp groups who give 
the display an even broader na¬ 
tionality appeal. 

Backbone of the hour is Stan 
Wolowic and his seven-man instru¬ 
mental crew. Sidemen, recruited 
from the ABC staff orch, are a ver¬ 
satile bunch who not only have 
the polka beat down pat but can 
branch put into neat solo and duo 
work to alter the pace. Good case 
in point on session seen (19) was 
the “Tavern In the Town” banjo 
duet. 

Emcee Bruno (Junior) Zielinski 


BARRETTS OF WIMPOLE 
STREET 

(Producers’ Showcase) 

With Katharine Cornell, Anthony 
Quayle, Henry Daniell, Nancy 
Coleman, Margalo Gillmore, 
Brenda Forbes, Donald Harron. 
Geoffrey Lumb, Edward Hunt, 
Lisa Daniels, William Podmore, 
Charles McCauley, Charles For¬ 
sythe, Rhoderick Walker, Ken¬ 
dall Clark, others 
Producer: Guthrie McClintic 
Director: Vincent J. Doneliue 
Adaptation: McClintic 
Settings: Oti s Riggs 
Costumes: Jerome Boxhorn 
Musical'Director: George Bassman 
90 Mins., Mon. (2) 8 p.m. 

RCA, Ford 

NBC-TV, from New York (color) 

(Kenyon & Eckhardt > 
Katharine Cornell, making her 
tv debut Monday night (2>, recre¬ 
ated her most famous stage por¬ 
trayal, that of Elizabeth Barrett, 
in a stunning production of “Bar¬ 
retts of Wimpole Street” that was 
an incandescent gem. It was one 1 ■ 
of the top, magnificent perform¬ 
ances in the whole catalog of 90- 
minute Producers’ Showcase color 
spectaculars. 

Indeed, the whole was a fusion 
of enormous -talents. Produced, 
staged and adapted' by Guthrie 
McClintic, one of Broadway’s most 
gifted showmen, who was also re¬ 
sponsible for the original stage 
production, this tv version of the. 
romance of the great Victorian 
poets. Elizabeth Barrett and Rob¬ 
ert Browning, emerged as a vi¬ 
brant poetic love story. And al¬ 
most of equal stature were the 
performances of Anthony Quayle, 
co-starring as Robert Browning, 
and I-Icnry Daniell, as the stern, ' 
father of the Barrett brood. 

For that matter, there were a 
multiplicity of plusses in Nancy 
Coleman’s excellent performance 
as Elizabeth’s spirited sister, and 
in Brenda Forbes and Margalo 
Gillmore, recreating their respec¬ 
tive roles of Elizabeth’s maid and 
Arabel Moulton-Barrett of the 
original Broadway engagement. 

Rudolf Besier’s eternal love 
story has played the “grand cir¬ 
cuit” over the past auarter-cen- 
tury or so, including stage revivals, 
films, radio and previous hour tv 
form, but Monday’s Producers' 
Showcase production ranks among 
the finest. For McClintic’s adapta¬ 
tion and staging captured the ten¬ 
sions and exquisite nuances of the 
fear-ridden Barrett household and 
the sweeping, magnetic love of the 
two poets. Vincent J. Donehue’s 
direction gave it all a technical co¬ 
hesion that allowed for a finely- 
wrought tv play. 

No finer vehicle could have been 
chosen for Miss Cornell’s tv debut. 
The years spanning her initial 
“Barrett” run on Broadway and 
this tv version have not taken 
away her warm, expressive genius. 
Her full, rounded though natural 
voice required just the slightest 
variance in pitch or volume to run 
the complete range from anger or 
horror to melting love. Yet this 
control, which appeared effortless, 
could only be the result of the 
deepest understanding by which 
Miss Cornell actually became Eliz¬ 
abeth Browning. 

The studied quiet, the frugality 
of movement, ihe lack of any af¬ 
fectation or stylized stage business 
—here were the genuine attrib¬ 
utes that put Miss Cornell on the 
same lofty tv strata that she at¬ 
tained as a legit actress. It was 
wellnigh inconceivable that this 
was hei first television perform¬ 
ance. 

Anthony Quayle, who starred in 
the recon f Broadway production 
of “Tamburlair.e the Great” (he 
also staged last month “Caesar 
and Cleopatra” on tv), was an ex¬ 
cellent choice for the role of the 
tempestous lover. With a voice 
more resonant yet as melliflous as 
Miss 'Cornell’s, he carried off the 
assignment with fervor and con¬ 
viction. 

Henry Daniell as the forbidding 
and foreboding parent wa* superb. 
His mounting, sadistic emotions 
culminated in a poignant scene of 
complete defeat. 

The settings by Otis Riggs were 
magnificently detailed and estab¬ 
lished the time and mood, while 
Jerome Boxhorn’s costumes were 
lush and lavish and adequately 
complemented the sets. Rose. 


is straight out of the “foreign lan¬ 
guage” station tradition, sprinkling 
his patter with plenty of Polish 
points of reference. Yodeler Caro¬ 
lyn DeZurick shares vocal assign¬ 
ments with members of the band. 

On this outing dancers Mildred 
Lawnick and Richard Hodyl and 
an Ukrainian group lent an au¬ 
thentic note to the proceedings 
with their realistic looking cos¬ 
tumes and traditional dances. But 
as noted before, not everybody 
digs this sort of thing because for 
most setowners the old country 
nostalgia is at least second hand. 

Dave. 


TV-mMS 


MSzIETr 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


80 


pfiftlETY - ARB City-By-City Syndicated and National Spot Film Chart 


VARIETY’S weekly chart of city-by-cily ratings of syndicated ahd na¬ 
tional spot film covers 40 to 60 cities reported by American Research Bur¬ 
eau on a monthly basis. Cities will be rotated each week , with the 10 top- 
rated film shows listed in each case , and their competition shown opposite. 
All ratings are furnished by ARB , based on the latest reports. 

This VARIETY chart represents a gathering, of all pertinent informa¬ 
tion about film in each market, which can be used by distributors, agencies, 
stations and clients as an aid in determining the effectiveness of a filmed 
show in the specific market. Attention should be paid to time—day and 


time factors, since sets-in-use and audience composition vary according to 
time slot, i.e., a Saturday afternoon children’s show, with a low rating, may 
have a large share and an audience composed largely of children, with cor¬ 
responding results for the sponsor aiming at the children’s market. Abbre¬ 
viations and symbols are as follows: (Adv), adventure; (Ch), children’s; 
(Co), comedy; (Dr), drama; (Doc), documentary; (Mus), musical; 
(Myst), mystery; (Q), quix; (Sp), sports; (W), western; (Worn), 
women’s. Numbered symbols next to station call letters represent th& sta¬ 
tion’s channel; all channels above 13 are ZJHF. Those ad agencies listed as 
distributors rep the national sponsor for whom the film is aired. 


TOP 10 PROGRAMS 

AND TYPE 

STATION 

DISTRIB. 

DAY AND 

TIME 

FEBRUARY 

RATING 

SHARE 

(•/•) 

SETS IN 
USE 

1 TOP COMPETING PROGRAM 

| PROGRAM STA. 

RATING 

BUFFALO 

Approx. Set Count —430,000 


Stations —WGR (2), WBEN (4), 

WBUF (17) 

1. Annie Oakley (W). 

. WBEN. 

.CBS....-. 

.Tues. 7:00-7:30 ... 

.37.9..... 

.... 85.5. 

.44.4 

Outdoors Inn. 

WGR .... 

.... 5.7 








Drawing Is Fun. 

WGR .... 

.... 3.6 

2. Count of Monte Cristo (Adv). 

WREN .... 

_TPA. 

.Fri. 7:30-8:00 .... 

.31.1..... 

.... 59.8...., 

. 52.0 


, WGR_ 

_17.9 







News Caravan. 

.WGR .... 

..,.20.4 

3. Highway Patrol (Adv). 

. WGR. 


..Tues. 10:30-11:00 . 

.28.6. 

_48.5.... 

. 59.0 

Do You Trust Your Wife.... 

WBEN .. 

...29.3 

4. Superman (Adv). 

.WBEN. 


.Wed. 7:00-7:30 ... 

.27.3..... 

_57.3.... 

.47.7 

Make Room for Daddy. 

WGR .... 

.,,.19.3 

5. Cisco Kid (W). 

.WBEN. 

.Ziv... 

..Thurs. 7:00-7:30 .. 

.26.4,.... 

.... 65.0_ 

_40.6 

Mayor of the Town. 

, WGR .... 

... . 12.2 

6. Studio 57 (Dr) ... 

.WGR. 

.MCA. 

.Wed. 8:00-8:30 ... 

.25.6.«... 

.... 36.7.... 

.69.7 


, WBEN .. 

_40.9 

7. Soldiers of Fortune (Adv),.. 

.WBEN. 

.MCA. 

.Mon. 7:00-7:30 ... 

.23.9. 

.... 53.3.... 

.44.9 

Waterfront.. 

, WGR .... 

....19.6 

8. Liberace (Mus). 

.WGR.. 

.Guild. 

..Sun. 6:30-7:00 .... 

.22.9. 

_48.8_ 


You Are There. 

, WBEN .. 

....23.8 

9. Secret Journal (Dr). 

.WGR. 

.MCA. 

.Sat. 10:30-11:00 .. 

. 22.1 . 



Ford Star Jubilee. 

. WBEN .. 

..,.24.1 

10. I Led 3 Lives (Dr). 

.WGR. ...\. 


.Mon. 10:30-11:00 . 

. 21.6 . 


.46.9 

Studio One. 

. WBEN .. 

.... 22.1 


SAN DIEGO 


Approx. Set Count —290,000 


c . KFMB (8), KFSD (10), XETV (6)* Tijuana; 

Stations -KNXT (2), KRCA (4), KTLA (5), Lob Angeles 


1 . 

Superman (Adv). 

KFMB..: 


.Mon. 7:00-7:30 .. 

.25,7.... 

.... 46.1. 

.... 55.8 

Studio One... 

..KNXT ,.. 

....13.4 

2 . 

Badge 714 (Myst).. 

KFMB. 


.Sat. 9:30-10:00 .. 

.24,5.... 

.... 50.9. 

.... 48.2 

The Unexpected.......... 

.. KFSD ... 

.... 8.2 

3. 

Sheena of the Jungle (Adv).. 

KFMB. 

.ABC. 


. 21 . 8 .... 

.... 48.5. 

.... 45.0 

Ranger . 

.. XETV ... 

.... 10.7 

4. 

Annie Oakley (W).. 

KFMB. 

.CBS......... 

.Mon. 6:00-6:30 .. 

.21.4.... 

.... 51.7. 

.... 41.4 

Ranger .. 

.. XETV ... 

.... 7.2 

5. 

Star and the Story (Dr). 

KFMB. 


.Fri. 8:00-8:30 ... 

.19.8- 

.... 34.0. 

_58.3 

Truth or Consequences... 

.. KFSD ... 

... .22.6 

6. 

I Search for Adventure (Adv) 

.XETV. 



.19.3_ 

.... 30.1. 

.... 64.2 

Wyatt Earp. 

. ? KFSD ... 

....18,1 

7. 

Wild Bill Hickok (W)....... 

. KFMB. 


.Tues. 6:00-6:30 .. 

.18.7. ... 

_43.5. 

.... 43.0 

Ranger . 

..XETV ... 

... .10.3 

8. 

Wild Bill Hickok (W). 

.KFMB. 


.Wed..6:30-7:00 .. 

.17.7.... 

_35.5. 

.49.9 

Johnny Jet.. 

..XETV ... 

... .12.3 

9. 

Secret Journal (Dr). 

. KFMB. 

.MCA. 


.16.7.... 

.... 26.0. 

.... 64.2 

I Search for Adventure... 

..XETV ... 

... .19.3 

10. 

Highway Patrol (Adv). 

.XETV. 


.Fri. 9:00-9:30 ... 

.16.3 .... 

_30.6._ 

.... 53.4 

Crusader . 

.. KFMB .. 

.... 14.8 


SAN ANTONIO Approx. Set Count— 225,000 . Stations —WOAI (4), KENS (5) 


.37.3. 72.5.. 51.5 

.34.5 . 67.5. 51.1 

.,32.6. 59.3... 55.0 

27.8. 67.2...41.4 


1. Confidential File (Doc).WOAI 

2. Celebrity Playhouse (Dr).KENS 

.3. Badge 714 (Myst).WOAI 

4. Annie Oakley (W).KENS 

5. Secret Journal (Dr).KENS 

6 . Science Fiotion Theatre (Adv). WOAI 

7. Highway Patrol (Adv).WOAI 

8 . Mr. District Attorney (Myst).. WOAI 

9. Eddie Cantor (Com).KENS 

10. Superman (Adv). KENS 


Guild.Thurs. 9:30-10:00 

Screen Gems.Tues. 9:30-10:00 

.NBC.Fri. 8:30-9:00 

CBS.Thurs. 6:30-7:00 

• MCA.Tues, 7:00-7:30 

-Ziv.Wed. 8:00-8:30 

• Ziv.Thurs. 8:00-8:30 

-Ziv.Mon. 9:30-10:00 

-Ziv.Fri. 9:30-10:00 

. Flamingo.Fri. 6:30-7:00 . 


.27.2. 53.1. 51.3 

.26.3. 39.7. 66.4 

.25.9. 41.6. 62.3 

.23.3 46.2. 50.5 

.22.8. 54.9. 41.6 

.22.6. 59.4. 38.1 


Sherlock Holmes. 

...KENS ... 

....138 

D. Fairbanks Presents... 

... WOAI ... 

... .15.7 

Playhouse of Stars. 

... KENS ... 

.., .22.4 

Dinah Shore.. 

...WOAI ... 

.... 12.1 

News Caravan.:.. 

...WOAI ... 

....14.7 

Martha Raye.; 

... WOAI ,.. 

... .23.7 

The Millionaire. 

... KENS ... 

....38.8 

Climax . 

...KENS ... 

....36.0 

Studio One. 

...KENS ... 

... .27.2 

Cavalcade of Sports. 

... WOAI ... 

....23.3 

Red Barber.. 

...WOAI ... 

... .14.2 

Coke Time. 

...WQAI ... 

....15.1 

News Caravan. 

...WOAI ... 

.... 3.5.5 


PORTLAND, ORE._ Approx. Set Count —205,000 Stations —KOIN (6), KLOR (12), KPTV (27) 


1. Science Fiction Theatre (Adv). KOIN.Ziv.Mon. 8:30-9:00 . . 44 4 68 7 64 7 

2. I Search for Adventure (Adv). KOIN.Bagnall.Thurs. 7:30-8:00 .38.5. 59.0. 65 3 

3. City Detective (Myst).KOIN......-MCA..Sun. 5:30-6:00 . 31 0. 64 8 . 47 Q 

Voice of Firestone.KLOR 

Lone Ranger .KLOR 

3. Annie Oakley (W).KLOR...CBS.!..Fri.6:00-6:30 ..31.0 . 63 0... 493 


5. Superman (Adv)...KLOR.Flamingo.Tues. 6:00-6:30 .30 1 . 56 Q 59 . Q 

CBS News..KOIN 

6. Jungle Jim (Adv).KLOR.Screen Gems.Thurs. 6:00-6:30 .29.3. 55 8 595 

7. Kit Carson (W). KOIN.MCA.Wed. 6:30-7:00 .26.2. 66 4 3 Q 5 

8. Western Marshal (W).KLOR.NBC..Wed. 6:00-6:30 . 24 5 ... 50 2 48 8 

9. Judge Roy Bean (W).KLOR.Screen Craft.Mon. 6:00-6:30 . 22.0.,. 51 6 49 r 

9. Studio 57 (Dr).KOIN.MCA. .Wed. 10:00-10:30 .22.0 . 46 7 . 47 1 

CBS News.KOIN 

Weather; Sports.KOIN 

CBS News. KOIN 

Mayor of the Town.....KPTV 

Weather; Sports KOIN 

CBS News KOIN 

Weather; Sports KOIN 

CBS News KOIN 

This Is Your Life..KPTV 


.10.3 
.22.8 
. 9.8 
.17.2 
.15.9 
.23.0 
.20.9 
.22.2 
.19.2 
. 8.2 
.23.8 
.20.1 
.20.1 
.17.6 
.17.6 


FORT WAYNE _ Approx. Set Count —120,000 


Stations -—WKJG (33); WIN-T (15), Waterloo 


1. My Little Margie (Com).WKJG. 

2. I Married Joan (Com).WKJG. 

3. Racket Squad (Myst).WKJG.... 

4. Liberace (Mus)... WKJG. 

4. Waterfront (Adv).WKJG 

6. Cisco Kid (W).WKJG_ 

7. Kit Carson (W).WKJG_ 

8. Amos ’n’ Andy (Com).WKJG_ 

9. Wild Bill Hickok (W).... WKJG. 

10. Badge 714 (Myst).....WKJG.... 


Official. 

.Wed. 8:30-9:00 _ 

... .55.2. 

!.. 84.7.... 

.65.2 

.Interstate. 

.Wed.8:00^:30 .... 

... .54.2. 

... 77.6.... 


ABC. 


....49,4. 

... 84,2.... 


•Guild. 

.... Tues. 7:00-7:30 .... 

,,. 47.0 ... 

82 0 


MCA. 

.Fri. 9:30-10:00 .... 

...,47,0. 

... 80.7.... 


.Ziv. 

.Sun. 5:00-5:30 ..... 

,., .45.0. 

... 93.9..., 

48 n 

MCA. 


,.. . 43.5 . 

... 86 . 2 . 

50 5 

.CBS. 

..Sun. 7:30-8:00 . 

....41.1. 

... 64.1.... 


•Flamingo. 

..... Sat. 6:00-6:30 . 

... .40.2. 

... 97.7.... 


■NBC. 


....37.6..,.. 

... 84.4.... 

44.6 


Charlie Chan Calling..'.WIN-T 

Godfrey and Friends.WIN-T 

Charlie Chan Calling,. WIN-T 

Pantomime Quiz.WIN-T 

Soldier Parade.WIN-T 

This Is the Life.WIN-T 

Hoosier Hoedown.WIN-T 

Private Secretary.WIN-T 

Broadway Theatre....WIN-T 

Life With Elizabeth.WIN-T 


. 7.2 
.15.7 
. 8.9 
.10.4 
.11.3 
, 3.0 
, 7.0 
.23.0 
. 0.9 
. 6.1 































































































































































































































































































































































PfiatiEff 


TV-FILMS 


31 


W ednegday, April 4, 1956 


VIDPIX DISTRIBS’ ASSN. ON TAP 


Haroldll See To It 


San Francisco. 

Editor , Variety; 

A portion of an article appearing in Variety makes reference 
to an '‘unilateral'’ publication of a standard form film contract. 
It further relates: 

(a) That ho distributor was consulted prior to this action; 

(b) It was more than a year ago that any distributor recalled 
hearing from the film committee; 

(c) The parties which were pressing for a distributor organiza¬ 
tion were the “little guys" with collection problems, etc., etc. 

It is a matter of record that the undersigned, acting as an in¬ 
dividual station manager and, in cases where I possibly could, as 
the Chairman of the NARTB Film Committee, have had volumin* 
ous correspondence with the “big guys” since 1954. This corre¬ 
spondence has dealt with the contents of many film contracts 
which are “unilaterally” in favor of the distributor. Most of the 
“big guys” and “little guys” have known for some time from many 
sources that stations were dissatisfied with the attitude reflected 
by many distributors in their contracts on the subject of warranty, 
indemnification, shipping, compliance with the broadcasters code 
and many other items. Several of the larger distributors met in 
New York on Nov. 15, 1955, to hold final discussions with respect 
to a possible distributor organization. They were notified by tele¬ 
gram on Nov. 14 that the NARTB Committee would probably re¬ 
lease a guide to film contracts on Jan. 12, 1956. The telegram 
closed with the following phrase: “Entire industry in better con¬ 
dition if responsible distributor organization available to co¬ 
operate.” 

As an individual station manager, I will be very much interested 
in any “blasts” which the “blistered” distributors intend to make. 

Harold P. See. 

KRON-TV, San Francisco. 


‘N.Y. Confidential’ Goes on Location 


McGraw & Post All Over Gotham, Environs But 
Nobody’s the Wiser 

4 -:- 


If New Yorkers, and the trade 
in particular haven’t noticed a lot 
of film shooting in and around the 
streets of Gotham during the past 
week, it’s because of a “hidden 
camera” trick by Walter McGraw 
and Ted Post, producer and di¬ 
rector of “New York Confidential,” 
pilot of which got the finishing 
touches yesterday (Tues.). Pair vir¬ 
tually took over.all of Gotham last 
week for location shooting, this in¬ 
cluding a dozen streets plus the 
run of Pennsylvania Station and 
the adjacent subway maze, but ex¬ 
cept for the latter, they did their 
filming sub rosa. 

Idea was (1) to keep the people 
out of the way of the cameras and 
therefore stay on schedule and (2) 
get natural shots of Gotham and 
not the customary o.o. from the 
passersby. McGraw grabbed up a 
truck with a “window” from which 
the camera shot outwards for all 
of his street scenes but one. That 
was when he had to shoot a jew¬ 
elry window on W. 47th St. in the 
diamond exchange and hundreds 
of people gathered round to watch 
the camera and dolly tracks set up 
and the scene shot. The one take 
took mote than 45 minutes, not in¬ 
cluding time spent setting up, and 
that decided McGraw and Post on 
sticking tc the truck. 

Three days of location on the 
Lee Tracy starrer saw the crews 
hitting Second Ave. on 58th St. 
and 55th St.; 47th St. off Sixth 
Ave. and then down on 5th; plus 
(Continued on page 38) 


Producers Form 
Natl Telepix Org 

Chicago, April 3. 

National organization of film 
producers is in the process of be- 
formed as the result of a meeting 
hosted here by the American Assn, 
of Film Producers. Nucleus of the 
AAFP is in Chicago and other mid¬ 
west points and parallels similar 
groups in New York and Frisco. 

Reps of the individual organiza¬ 
tions are to meet in N. Y. April 
13-14 in an attempt to meld the 
several outfits into a single fed¬ 
eration. Wilding’s Chi veep Lang 
Thompson is chairman of the or¬ 
ganizing committee which includes 
Jim Holmes, Vogue-Wright, Chi¬ 
cago; Robert Lawrence, N, Y. Film. 
Producers Assn.; Hans Teisler, 
Loucks & Norling, N. Y.; Marvin 
Becker, San Francisco; Larry Sher¬ 
wood, Galvin Co., Kansas City, and 
fc>am Orleans, Knoxville. c •- . •, 


4-Star Sets‘Diamond’ 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Telefilming of “Richard Dia¬ 
mond,” former radio series, has 
definitely been set by Four Star 
Films, with Don Taylor cast in 
leading role. 

Dick Powell, one of Four Star 
producer-star-owners, will produce 
the series, in which he starred in 
the aural medium. Dick Carr has 
been assigned to script the pilot. 


No Summer Slump 
For Syndicators 
Of Vidpix, Either 

The. gradual abolishment of the 
summer hiatus isn’t restricted to 
the networks, it seems. The syn¬ 
dicated telefilm business is also 
making strides in keeping its spon¬ 
sors during the dog days, accord¬ 
ing to a report from Ziv Television 
Programs, which claims that less 
than 2% of its 2,200 different spon¬ 
sors (spread over 280 markets) 
plan to take a hiatus this summer. 

Sales v.p. M. J. (Bud) Rif kin 
points out that last summer, the 
percentage of bankrollers taking 
off for the hot spell was 9% and 
the year before it was 12%. Some 
of the reasons attributed by Rifkin 
for the decrease in summertime 
anklers are peak levels of business 
in the country, new _ marketing 
techniques that make th*e so-called 
“summer slump” a piece of fiction 
(Continued on page 38) 


JACK LONDON SERIES 
ON TAP FOR GUILD 

Guild Films has set its second 
new property of the year—and in¬ 
cidentally its first adventure series 
—with the acquision of full video 
rights to the works of Jack London 
and an initial decision to put Lon¬ 
don’s “Captain Grief” character 
into series form. Yarns about a sea 
captain with a South Seas setting 
will be ready for the fall, but 
apart from the fact that some of 
the footage will be shot on loca¬ 
tion and in color, no production or 
casting details have been set yet. 

Rights to the London works were 
acquired from Jack London Pro¬ 
ductions Inc., which in turn had 
acquired them from the London 
.estate; Guild plans a second series 


$ KEY FIRMS AS 

FI 


Dick Moore Testimony Spotlights 

Plight of Telefilm Industry 


Formal announcement of the es¬ 
tablishment of an association of 
television film distributors is due 
within a week. The five companies 
which have been meeting infor¬ 
mally over the past few weeks on 
vital industry matters have de¬ 
cided to make their association a 
permanent one and are presently 
drawing up a charter and budgets 
which envision a permanent office 
with a fulltime staff topped by an 
important industry figure as full¬ 
time prez. 

Five companies involved are 
Screen Gems, Ziv, Television Pro¬ 
grams of America, Official Films 
and Guild Films. Execs of the com¬ 
panies have' been meeting for sev¬ 
eral weeks on preparing a presen¬ 
tation on the issue of network con¬ 
trol over time and programs, on 
the issue of the NARTB standard 
contract form and on the overall 
relationship of the syndication in¬ 
dustry to the NARTB. In these 
meetings, they found for the first 
time that they could cooperates 
hence the decision to go ahead 
with an industry association. So 
far as is known, invitations haven’t 
been sent out to other companies 
yet; this will probably be part of 
the formal announcement. 

Decision to go ahead with an as¬ 
sociation follows an abortive at¬ 
tempt by a wider group of outfits 
to do the very same thing less 
than six months ago. The attempt 
last fall failed, it is said, because 
the larger companies felt that 
there were no pressing and urgent 
issues that warranted the forma¬ 
tion of such an organization. The 
smaller companies had a. collec¬ 
tions problem which they consid¬ 
ered urgent; the larger outfits 
didn’t face the same problem, at 
least to the same extent. 

Since that time, however, the 
larger distribs were invited to 
draw up a presentation on net¬ 
work control by the FCC’s network 
study committee, the NARTB 
standard contract form was issued 
(see letter by Harold See, head of 
KRON-TV and chairman of the 
NARTB Film Committee, who 
takes issue with the distribs’ feel¬ 
ing that the contract was drawn 
and issued “unilaterally”) and the 
entire matter of the NARTB 
“brushoff” of the distribs have 
arisen. Drawn together by these 
problems, considered by the five 
companies of a vital nature, and 
convinced after a few sessions that 
there is. area for cooperation 
among distribs, the decision on a 
permanent organiaztion was made. 

The association will not only act 
as spokesman for the industry on 
matters of controversy and con¬ 
flict, but will operate in the man- 
(Continued on page 35) 

Jon Hall Parlaying 
TV & Theatricals On 
New ‘South Seas’ Series 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Unique telepix-feature parlay is 
being tried by Jon Hall, currently 
shooting “Knight of the South 
Seas” series. Half-hour segs are 
being filmed so that they can be 
released simultaneously as a vid¬ 
pix series here and a feature pic 
abroad. 

Way plan works, Hall is shooting 
telefilms in groups of three, with 
all castings and plot situations re¬ 
volving . around three-groupings. 
Besides offering economic savings, 
the telepix, shot in color, can be 
edited into either 50-minute or 85- 
minute features, liberally inter¬ 
spersed with outdoor footage shot 
on Hall’s schooner. 

Hall reports that British exhibs, 
especially, have shown considera¬ 
ble interest in the 50-minute fea¬ 
ture version, to fill out billings 
with longer large-screen offerings 
issuing iirom the States. To make, 
the 50-minute lengths, Hall plans 
to splice two telepix together; the 
85-minute length, for the Conti¬ 
nent and elsewhere, three half- 
hour segments.. 


Col Pix in 21 Markets 

Screen Gems’ “Hollywood Movie 
Parade” package of 104 Columbia 
features, already set in 11 markets, 
has been sold in another 10 cities, 
bringing the total up to 21 mar¬ 
kets and a gross well over the 
$2,250,000 mark. 

Package was sold to WARM-TV, 
Scranton; KARK-TV, Little Rock; 
WCCO-TV, Minneapolis; KOA-TV, 
Denver; WDXI, Jackson, Tenn.; 
KPRC-TV, Houston; WSYR-TV, 
Syracuse, KOOL-TV, Phoenix; 
KIBO-TV, Boise and KGMB, Hono¬ 
lulu. 


Father Duffy Out 
Of Telepix Series 
So Nolan Dittoes 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Television is “defrocking” New 
York’s famed Father Duffy. 

Lloyd Nolan, who starred in the 
pilot film of a new vidpix series, 
“Father Duffy of Hell’s Kitchen,” 
wants out on the deal, because in 
a revised version Father Duffy will 
be eliminated from the series and 
the lead will be a social, worker. 
That is not his cup of tea, dramatic¬ 
ally speaking, said Nolan, currently 
working in Warner Bros.’ “Toward 
the Unknown.” 

A sponsor very interested in the 
property after viewing the pilot in¬ 
sisted the lead should become en¬ 
tangled in romantics, so a new 
pilot film is being prepared with 
the priest no longer in the series, 
the new leading character to be a 
social worker in Hell’s Kitchen. 

Consequently, the Bischoff-Dia- 
mond team producing the show for 
Desilu Productions has signed Jay 
Ingram to script a new pilot, “Dan¬ 
ny Violin,” in which the lead is a 
social worker. Karl Malden is be¬ 
ing sought for the lead, it’s re¬ 
ported. 

Snorted Nolan: “They said, ‘let’s 
take his collar off and make him a 
settlement worker.’ This doesn’t 
strike any spark with me. I think 
39 weeks of being a Mr. Do-Good 
can be pretty dull, and you wind 
up with egg on your face. It’s not 
utilizing my talents. With this new 
concept, I fail to see any attrac¬ 
tion or challenge.” 

“Maybe it just wasn’t meant to 
be,” he commented philosophically, 
adding, “Maybe it wasn’t a good 
idea in the first place. I thought 
it was a very fine idea.” Nolan said 
the producers "have a claim on him 
until July 1, but reiterated he 
wasn’t interested in their new ver¬ 
sion, to be tagged “Duffy of Hell’s 
Kitchen.” 

Scoffing at the idea of being a 
weekly social worker on tv, the 
actor remarked “tv burns up ma¬ 
terial like a volcano. When I go 
into a series, I want to be on for at 
least three years, and have my 
pockets lined when I leave.” 

Harry Algus to NTA 
As Pubrelations Director 

Harry Algus, longtime manager 
of publicity at th-* Mutual network, 
has joined National Telefilm Asso¬ 
ciates as director of public rela¬ 
tions. Algus checked in at NTA 
this week as the company’s first 
regular flack, NTA having in the 
past used indie publicity outfits. 

NTA at the same time added to 
its sales force with the appoint¬ 
ment of Tony Azzato a*nd Sliirlee 
Barish to work under director of 
sales development Ray Nelson. Az¬ 
zato has been with several telepix 
outfits in the past, including op¬ 
erating an eastern representation 
setup for a number of firms, and 
was also film director at WPIX, 
N. Y. Miss Barish was formerly 
program manager and film director 
at WIRK, West Palm Beach. 


+ Dilemma faced by the film syn¬ 
dicators—that of a steadily con¬ 
tracting syndication market on the 
one hand and a tightly restricted 
national or network market for 
their product on the other—was 
never so forcibly demonstrated as 
in last week’s testimony before the 
Senate Interstate & Foreign Com¬ 
merce Committee by Richard A. 
Moore, KTTV, Los Angeles, prexy. 
Moore’s testimony was all the more 
important and significant because 
(1) this was the first time the 
plight of the telefilm industry had 
been made known to the Govern¬ 
ment publicly, and (2) because 
Moore’s testimony was all the more 
influential as that of a prosperous 
station manager who has overcome 
his difficulties, rather than one 
who is moaning low .with a gilt- 
edged axe to grind. 

In attacking “restrictive agree¬ 
ments” in the form of “must-buy” 
lists and “time-options,” Moore 
laid the stress not only on what 
such agreements are doing to sta¬ 
tions, advertisers and the public, 
but on their effects on the telefilm 
industry. By squeezing syndicated 
programs out of prime time avail¬ 
abilities in local markets through 
option time agreements, the net¬ 
works have put the syndicators in 
a position whereby “today, the 
only means by which a film pro¬ 
ducer can be assured of time pe¬ 
riods in a sufficient number of 
markets is to sell the program to a 
network or to an advertiser who 
is able to place the program on 
the network. Without such a guar¬ 
anteed release, the film producer 
or syndicator can now seldom af¬ 
ford to uroduce a series.” 

Prime Vs. Fringe Time 

Moore continued, “It is true that 
a number of fine syndicated films 
have been produced for non-net¬ 
work use and have been sold in 
many markets, but the number is 
steadily dwindling because cf the 
restraints imposed by time op¬ 
tions.” To say that class B and C 
times are available to the syndi¬ 
cators “is no answer,” Moore de¬ 
clared, for it is the prime evening 
hours "when there is the greatest 
likelihood that the advertiser will 
pay a program fee which is suf¬ 
ficient to defray the cost of the 
show. Yet, these are thfe very time 
periods which are covered by the 
network option, and from which 

(Continued on page 38) 


Walerstein Sets 
Mex-Made Telepix 

Mexico City, April 3. 

Gregorio Walerstein, Filmex Pro¬ 
ductions prexy, has borrowed $200,- 
000 from the Bank of Mexico for 
the filming of tv shorts in his 
newly-remodeled America Studios. 
Lot was formerly known as Cuauh¬ 
temoc Studios and was operated 
on a part time basis by Henri 
Lubbe, former French production 
man. 

Walerstein plans to produce 
shorts and documentaries particu¬ 
larly aimed at the U. S. tv market 
and some specifically made to push 
tourist traffic in> this direction. 
Bank loan has been set to aid lat¬ 
ter category, which evidences some 
sort of probable governmental tie- 
up via the local tourist bureau. 
Other Latin American countries 
evincing interest in similar tourist 
ticklers include Peru, Chile, and 
Guatemala, it was announced by 
the new studio setup. 

Also scheduled for production 
are Spanish language advertising 
blurbs in an attempt to cut into the 
growing below the border tv mar¬ 
ket. 

Walerstein previously announced 
that his entire America program 
for 1956-57 would call for a $400,- 
000 investment with b and w shoot¬ 
ing alternating with color and Cin-' 
: emaScope on three stages. Produc¬ 
tion is due to start next month on 
his first series. of shorts with an 
annual output of 250 scheduled for 
production before April, 1957. 




Wednesday, April 4, 1956 



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Then talk'to your NBC Radio Network Representative. 

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■ B # a service of 












M 


KABIO-TELKVISMKY 


yAUltTY 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Television Chatter 


New York 

Thomas J. Tilson becomes sales¬ 
man for the newly-named Peters, 
Griffin, Woodward (nee Free- 
Peters), coming from Benton & 
Bowles’ research - timebuying de¬ 
partment . . . George Weiss, veep 
In charge of Studio Films syndica¬ 
tion, has a sideline—is veep of 
Cylinder Finance Corp., lessors of 
compressed gas cylinders . . . Yes¬ 
terday (Tues.) WABD picked up at 
Manhattan Center the strike meet¬ 
ing of Macy workers, a special that 
bumped the start of the Sandy 
Becker kidcast from 8:45 to 9 ayerri. 

Robert Bergmann, former head 
of radio-tv production at the Nor¬ 
man, Craig & Kummel agency and 
onetime packager, joined .Trans¬ 
film as a production supervisor. 
Also at Transfilm: Collier’s mag 
has a two-page color spread on 
“Man of Action” film produced by 
Transfilm for the American Coun¬ 
cil to Improve Our Neighborhoods 
(ACTION); Robert H. Klaeger, 
v.p. over tv commercial and in¬ 
dustrial film production, off for a 
two-week vacation at Chickasha, 
Okla. . . . Bob Bernstein, flack with 
the Lynn Farnol office, returning 
to his old post as publicity aide at 
Guild Films . . . Television Pro¬ 
grams of America exec v.p. Mickey* 
Sillerman and family off for a va¬ 
cation in Florida . . . Joe Franklin 
honoring the late James Dean on 
his WABC-TV “Memory Lane” 
show Friday (6) . . . Joan Hoffman, 
secretary to TPA treasurer Sy 
Malamed, to wed non-pro Sheldon 
Cymrot April 8 . . . Barbara Joyce 
joins the cast of the “Date With 
Life” soaper on NBC-TV for the 
month of April . . . Herb Ross, pro¬ 
ducer on the Martha Raye show, 
staging her act for Las Vegas and 
also staging Constance Bennett’s 
turn for the Pierre Hotel, N. Y., 
for late April; he also expects to 
go to London later to stage the 
Aquacade for Esther Williams . . . 
Guy Kent, who designed the Claire 
Bloom costumes in the NBC-TV 
“Caesar & Cleopatra” and “Cy¬ 
rano,” doing the costumes for the 
upcoming “Wake Up Darling” on 
Broadway . . . Patricia Barry, wife 
of Alcoa-Goodyear associate pro¬ 
ducer Philip Barry Jr. and herself 
on NBC-TV's “First Love” soaper, 
set for a featured role in the forth¬ 
coming “Goodbye Again” legiter 
. . . Lynn Dollar, traveling for the 
“$64,000 Question,” visits home- 



TEXACO STAR THEATRE 
Guest Star: Ernest Borgnine 
Saturday Night, April 7, N.I.C.-TV 


Mot.t William Morris Agoncy 



every DAY 
ON EVERY CHANNEL 1 


BROOKS 

COSTUMES 

3 W..I M.l tt. ( N.Y.C.*T»I. PL. 7-JI00 


town Bismarck, N. D., this week, 
and makes a p.a. in, the local drug 
store where she had her first job 
. . . Cleo Moore and Lilo guest, to¬ 
day (Wed.) on Ray Heatherton’* 
WABC-TV “Celebrity Club” . . . 
Robert Young profiled via his 
“Father Knows Best” series in 
Cosmopolitan under the title 
“Father of Two Families.” 

Bas Sheva, cantorial songstress, 
made her initial tv appearance^on 
Ed Sullivan's March 24 CBS-TV 
show. Reference to her impressive 
delivery of a Hebraic number was 
inadvertently omitted in last week’s 
Variety review of the show . . . 
Sue Ellen Blake plays opposite 
Farley Granger on Monday’s (9) 
“Robert Montgomery Presents.” 

Toni Gillman signed with the 
Martin Goodman agency . . . Ar¬ 
thur Treffeisen of the Lew & Les¬ 
lie Grade agency named casting 
director of 'Revlon’s new “Most 
Beautiful Girl in . the World” . , . 
Buddy Piper, sub for Jack Barry 
on “Winky Dink,” does a p.a. at 
Macy’s second annual children’s 
week this frame . . . Ronald Daw¬ 
son doubling from “Witness for 
the Prosecution” on Broadway to 
the telefilmed “The Goldbergs,” 
and also doing some of the Coke 
spots for McCann-Erickson . . . 
Norma Veney into “Footlight 
Frenzy” on “Goodyear Playhouse” 
Sunday (8) . . . Stuart German has 
a role in “Modern'Romances” this 
week and James Millhollin dittoes 
the week of the 9th . . . Joe Man- 
tell stars on “Kraft Theatre” to¬ 
night (Wed.) . . . Paul Kasander, 
associate producer with Walt 
Framer, and his wife Estelle are 
producing the North Valley 
Stream Cerebral Palsy Assn.'s 
third annual musical, “Money Isn’t 
Everything” at Valley Stream 
Central High Friday (6), Saturday 
(7) and the following Saturday 
(14), with proceeds to UCP. 

KMTV Tints Up Opera 
In Major Local Push 

Omaha, April 3. 

KMTV will become the first tele¬ 
vision station in the U. S. to pre¬ 
sent a full-length, live and multi¬ 
chrome opera cast locally. This 
coming Saturday (7), outlet will 
do the Omaha Lyric Theatre’s 
“Prodigal Son,” with full orch, and 
a cast of 35. 

As the NBC affiliate (switched 
from CBS at the beginning of the 
year), KMTV is pushing tint pro¬ 
gramming through three other 
local color programs this month. 
Apart from “Prodigal,” it will 
show the Maurice Evans-Robert 
Morley “The Great Gilbert and 
Sullivan” feature as well as ah- 
other pic, “The Tales of Hoffman.” 
j “Alice in Wonderland,” an after¬ 
noon presentation for juves at the 
end of April, is the remaining pic. 


WBBM Ups Mercier | 

Chicago, April 3. 

WBBM has appparently dis¬ 
pensed with the program director 
berth, vacant since A1 Bland de¬ 
parted last month for a veepee- 
ship with Crosley Broadcasting in 
Cincinnati. Meanwhile, Art Mer¬ 
cier, an 18-year vet with the Co¬ 
lumbia station, has moved up as 
production director, replacing 
Gene Daily who has joined Bland 
in Cincy as director of the Crosley 
news operations. 


Foreign War Vets In 
Swipe at N.Y. AFTRA’s 
’Middle of the Road’ 

Washington, April 3. 

The December victory of the 
“middle of the road” slate in the 
New York AFTRA elections is fur¬ 
ther proof of a softening attitude 
toward Communism in this country, 
charges the Veterans of Foreign 
Wars. 

The VFW publication, Guardpost 
for Freedom, says this is one of 
several developments showing that 
Americans are letting down their 
guards again. It says the victorious 
AFTRA slate whipped one which 
had successfully opposed Commie 
efforts to take over the local for 
nine years. 

The winning tickets, adds VFW, 
had the support of 14 members of 
the local who had defied the House 
Un-American Activities Commit¬ 
tee. 

“The two new vice presidents,” 
says Gjiardpost, “have Communist 
Front records and the president, 
CBS correspondent Charles Col- • 
lingwood, has publicly challenged 
the statement of the House Com¬ 
mittee on Un-American Activities 
that there is a ‘militant Communist 
faction in the New York local of 
AFTRA/ Under Collingwood, the 
New York local- has taken no action 
against the identified Communists 
in its ranks, or against its members 
who defied the House Committee. 

“On the contrary, the new board 
passed a resolution this month, 
committing the local to take action 
against any employer (network, 
producer, sponsor, etc.) who re¬ 
fuses to hire a performer because 
of Communist affiliations.” 

NBC Dickers Televising 
National Milk Bowl 

San Antonio, April 3. 

Eugene C. Weafer, executive di¬ 
rector of the National Milk Bowl, 
a junior football 'game for the bene¬ 
fit of Texas Crippled Children and 
Orphans, has announced that NBC- 
TV is interested in televising this 
year’s game which is to be played 
here at Alamo Stadium on Dec. 8 
and is getting ready to seek a 
sponsor for the event. 

Last year’s game was aired coast 
to coast by the Mutual Network 
and telecast locally by WOAI-TV, 
local NBC affiliate. 


ADLER'S No. 2 SLOT AT 27 


Youthful WABD Exec in Upped 
Status; Seek Program Man 


Bill Adler, who has been WABD, J 
N. Y., program director for six 
months, has just become the tele¬ 
vision station’s sales manager, 
making him a clear-cut second-in- 
command to general manager and 
veep Ted Cott. Promotion for 
Adler, who is 27, makes him the 
youngest major exec in N.Y.’s lo¬ 
cal tv picture. 

Cott is now on the prowl for a 
program sub for Adler. Salesmen 
Burt Lambert, Howard Neff, Wal¬ 
ter Bruce, Dick Jackson and Max¬ 
ine Cooper are under Adler as is 
the sales service department. 

Adler came to WABD shortly 
after Cott took over management 
of the station from a pubserv job 
at rival WRCA-TV. 


ZIV HAS THE HOT SHOWS! 




George Gobel, 
Disneyland, 
What's My Line 
and many others. 


ARB—Fob. '$6 


ZIV TELEVISION PROGRAMS. INC. 


■’ti Chicorjo Uc^ywood, York 


Jaffe Tenders AFTRA Resignation 

Continued from paste '23 


for issues that are much broader, 
involving the possibility of divest¬ 
ing the N. Y. local ranks of mem¬ 
bers who have been cited by the 
House Un-American Activities 
Committee. Nor is it a secret that 
a lot of tv packagers will be happy 
to see Jaffe step aside. Whatever 
the reason, the pro & con “hot 
potato” is believed to have been a 
factor precipitating the wide dif¬ 
ferences and Jaffe’s decision to 
step out. 

Letter of Resignation 

Jaffe’s letter of resignation fol¬ 
lows: 

Having served as your National 
Counsel for nearly 20 years from 
the inception of AFTRA,* I regret 
that for reasons which I have dis¬ 
cussed with you many times in the 
past, it will be impossible for me 
to remain as your national coun¬ 
sel. 

The members of the National 
Board will recall that a year and 
one-half ago, I advised the Board 
that I would have to resign in the 
near future, and I also told the 
Board on several occasions all of 
the facts surrounding my firm’s 
television activities (in- Showcase 
Productions, Inc.), so that the 
members of the Board would be 
fully apprised, and would there¬ 
fore permit me to resign so that 
I could devote myself fully to 
these activities. 

However, because of the tragic 
illness and death of Mr. Heller, 
the interim administration of Mr. 
McKee and the selection and 
eventual determination of a new 
Executive Secretary, the Board 
persuaded me to stay with AFTRA 
for the time being, feeling that it 
would be injurious to AFTRA if I 
should then carry out my personal 
wish and desire to resign. 

In its quest for a new National 
Executive Secretary, AFTRA has 
made a splendid choice in Mr. 
Conaway. In a very short time he 
has acquired a deep insight into 
AFTRA’s activities and - problems, 
and I am confident that with the 
guidance of the National Board 
he will administer AFTRA’s af¬ 
fairs zealously and skillfully. 

In vie ( w of my great confidence 
in Mr. Conaway, I believe the 
time is now appropriate for me to 
resign as AFTRA’s counsel, and I 
would personally appreciate your 
concurrence in this. 

I have every confidence that you 
will have no difficulty in selecting 
new counsel, and I assure you I 
will stay on, if you wish, until new 
counsel is appointed. Moreover, 
you can count on full cooperation 
from my associates and myself in 
spending whatever time is neces¬ 
sary in briefing the new counsel 
with the many pending matters 
that come under his supervision. 

I do not have to tell you that 
this step is one which I have not 
taken lightly or easily. As long 
as I live I shall be grateful to 
AFTRA for one of the warmest 
and most satisfying personal ex¬ 
periences of my life. It has been 
a deeply-appreciated pleasure to 
work with you and your predeces¬ 
sor Boards in helping AFTRA at¬ 
tain the respect and admiration it 
enjoys in broadcasting and labor 
union circles. * AFTRA has been 
much more than a client; it has 
been an association of almost 20 
years with the finest group of peo¬ 
ple ever served by anyone. And 
on a personal level, I would like 
to add that above all else, AFTRA 
gave me my closest friends. 

While I will stay on until you 
have had an opportunity to select 
a successor counsel, I must ask 
that you please do this as expe¬ 
ditiously as possible, and in any 
case no later than the July Con¬ 
vention. 

National Board’s Rejection 

The National Board replied: 

The National' Board has consid¬ 
ered your letter of resignation and 
by unanimous vote has rejected it. 
We well understand the motives 
-which prompted you to tender your 
resignation. In the opinion of the 
Board they do not constitute a suf¬ 
ficient reason for your resignation. 

You have been at pains at all 
times to acquaint the Board with 
your firm’s activities in Showcase 
Productions, Inc. With full knowl¬ 
edge of your other responsibili¬ 
ties and interests, the Board has 
requested you to continue as 
AFTRA’s counsel. 

It has been our observation, con¬ 
firmed many times over, that nei¬ 
ther these other interests nor any 


other considerations have ever les¬ 
sened your complete devotion to 
AFTRA, nor have they .prevented 
you from working in behalf of 
AFTRA and its members with the 
same zeal and loyalty which have 
characterized you since AFTRA 
was first organized in 1937. 

We are, however, mindful of the 
fact that you are counsel for both 
the National Board and the New 
York Local Board. Events of the 
past few months have disclosed 
serious differences between the two 
bodies. For example, the Clarifica¬ 
tion Agreement was approved 
unanimously by the National 
Board, and by the unanimous vote 
of the Chicago and Los Angeles 
Local Boards and membership. The 
New York Local Board, however, 
voiced its disapproval by a vote of 
6 to 3. We are certain that" your 
responsibility to both Boards 
.played some part in your decision 
to resign and that if you were re¬ 
lieved of your obligation to the 
New-York Local Board you would 
have a different view of your con¬ 
tinued representation of the Na¬ 
tional, or you would at least post¬ 
pone the time of your departure. 
Accordingly, in rejecting your res¬ 
ignation,, we do so with the request 
that you sever your connection as 
attorney for the New York Local 
of AFTRA. 

We take this occasion to thank 
you for everything you have done 
for AFTRA since its inception and 
to express the unqualified regard 
and esteem in which you are held 
by every member of the National 
Board. 


‘ Hodapp’s Book 

“Face Your Audience” by Wil¬ 
liam Hodapp (Hastings; $3.95), is 
a selection of audition material for 
actors prepared by a Montreal tv 
exec, formerly associated with U.S. 
networks. Book contains notes to 
actors, which are too brief to be 
very helpful. Excerpts stem from 
various dramatic sources. 

General use of this tome should 
come as relief to control-room tech¬ 
nicians who are tempted to turn off 
the audio every time a hopeful 
thesp starts to do his version of 
“Streetcar,” “Picnic,” or “Seven 
Year Itch.” Robie. 


IT’S TIME 

Somebody Put on a New 
Kind of Radio News Show 

Somebody Has— 

IT’S TIME 

Produced and Voiced for 
TIME, fho Weekly News 
Magazine, by 

WESTBROOK 
VAN VOORHIS 

Famed March of.Time 
Announcer 

Every Weekend •.. 

18 Different Five-Minute 
News Dramas 
Entire ABC Network 

EDITORIAL STAFF: 
Donald Higgins 
(Co-Producer) 

Ted Wear 
Martin Plissner 
Mary McCarthy 
James McCormack 

DIRECTOR: 

Warren Somerville 

For TIME: 

Peter Ehlers 






Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


JsSriety 


RADIO-TELEVISION 


35 


Inside Stuff—Radio-TV 

Dinner celebrating the 10th anni of “Meet the Press” and honor- 
0 the newsmen panelers and the politico guests who have appeared 
lng the s how during its 10 years is being staged by NBC April 28- at 
cheraton-Park Hotel in Washington. Principal speakers at the 
ffair will be Sens. Alben Barkley (D., Ky.) and William F. Knowland 
Jr Cal.), former of course the ex-veep and latter the Senate minority 

^Affair is being tossed by NBC “to show its appreciation to these 
-nrld figures,” according to NBC prez Bob Sarnoff, who further 
'"fates ^at “their contribution toward an enlightened public opinion 
has been applauded all over the world.” 

Latest tv dramatic stanza to commission the penning of an original 
ng f or one of its shows is NBC-TV’s “Matinee Theatre,” which ha§ 
Mark Bucci turning out “The Lark Shall Sing,” composed for the up¬ 
coming teledrama of the same name scripted by Peggy Phillips from a 
novel by Elizabeth Cadell. Bucci wrote the songs for the musical adap¬ 
tation of James Thurber’s “13 Clocks,” first done in strawhat and later 
on the ABC-TV “Elgin Hour” a couple of seasons back. He’s also 
working on an original musical. Miss Phillips,' a “Matinee” regular, 
will adapt Nelia Gardner White’s novel, “The Sparc Room,” for “Mat¬ 
inee” after her “Lark” assignment. 

TelePrompter Corp. went over the $1,000,000 mark in gross billings 
in 1955, according to'annual statement, with total biz of $1,215,559 
doubling the $533,661 gross of the previous year. Net earnings for ’55 
totalled $96,743 as compared to $38,583 for ’54. Sharp upturn in ’55 
is attributed by board chairman Irving B. Kahn to entrance of cor¬ 
poration into multi-product and multi-service fields over and above 
the company’s promoting device. 


ABC-TV’s news-special events department will make with its first 
live remote in months when it carries an hour-long exclusive tele¬ 
cast of the commissioning of the U.S.S. Saratoga, the Navy’s new su¬ 
per-carrier, on April 14 from 3 to 4 p.m. 

Special will come out of the Brooklyn Navy Yard, with. .Navy Secre¬ 
tary Charles S. Thomas as principal speaker. Telecast will cover all 
the formal ceremonies of the commissioning, including setting of the 
first watch. 


The Soviet Government is boasting that it now has a radio relay 
system to transmit television programs, though for a. limited distance. 
Thus, what is a commonplace in the U. S., has come to Russia. 

Radio Moscow announced last week: “The radio specialists of Dne¬ 
propetrovsk, using the latest achievements of modern radio-technology, 
have set up between Dnepropetrovsk and Kharkov a television relay 
line, introducing re-transmission points. Npw the people of Dne¬ 
propetrovsk can view the latest transmissions from the Kharkov tele¬ 
vision studios.” 


Reports last week that Cinema-Yue Corp. had acquired the half-hour 
“Adventures of Danny Dee” kidfilm series contained a typographical 
error that listed the series as comprising nine half-hours. Should, of 
course, have read 39 half-hours. 


FCC’s Big Push For V’s 

Continued from page 27 _____ 


definitive action by the FCC to 
save UHF. With the agency on the 
hot seat in Congress, with .such 
formidable. pro-UHF testimony as 
that given by NBC and ABC be¬ 
fore the Senate Committee, and 
with Sen. John O. Pastore (D-R.I.) 
already alluding to UHF as a 
“corpse,” the Commission majority 
which turned down deintermixture 
has reached'' the point- where it 
must offer something to solve or, 
at least, alleviate the allocation 
problem. 

That “something,” in view of the 
unwillingness to deintermix and 
the lack of support for other alter¬ 
natives, must be additional V’s. 

Where can more V’s be obtained? 
CBS has suggested that a few 
might be taken away from FM and 
a few from other services, which 
means the military. Hqwever, it’s 
regarded as unlikely that the Com¬ 
mission would be disposed toward 
carving up the FM band. That 
leaves the military as the chief 
and possibly only source. 

How the military uses its VHF 


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space, what commitments it has 
made in the way of equipment, 
what the possibilities are of arrang¬ 
ing a trade for UHF channels are 
matters of a classified nature. Some 
sources here believe that the com¬ 
mitments involve astronomical 
figures and that it would be im¬ 
possible to pry loose the space 
needed without providing a sizable 
appropriation to cover the cost of 
conversion. That would, mean sell¬ 
ing Congress on the idea. 


Radio Followup 


Columbia Workshop 

Packing A. C. Spectorsky’s 
crowded catalog of exurbia into a 
30-minute stanza is like jamming 
a whole salmon into a sardine tin, 
yet CBS “Radio Workshop” did it 
last Friday (30) and did it success¬ 
fully, giving bounce and wit to the 
study of the mores, finances and 
geography of the distant points 
reached on the 6:28. It’s not likely 
that any audio-only airing has 
drawn as much of a trade audience 
as this adaptation in a long while. 
It had the subject matter plus the 
advantage of much advance trade 
press hoopla, and if industryites 
came skeptically the Charles S. 
Monroe adaptation’s few broad 
strokes were good enough to allay 
them. 

The strokes gave the spirit if 
not the detail of life among ‘The 
Exurbanites” — the essence of 
Bucks, Westchester, Fairfield Coun¬ 
ties, of Long Island; the rules for 
“footsoldiers” and “the brass” of 
agency row commuting to and 
from Grand Central; the jargon; 
the disheartening economies of ex- 
urban living. It was with an un¬ 
derlying note of kidding on the 
square, but sometimes the whimsy 
got away some where and the Mon¬ 
roe script at times like that got a 
mite bitter. 

Producer-director Paul Roberts’ 
job on this “Workshop” presenta¬ 
tion seemed like one of nearly per¬ 
fect organized confusion as hero 
and heroine, Fred and Liz, jumped 
from one aspect of suburbia to an¬ 
other. John Larkin and Jan Miner 
were rewarding in their roles, and 
CBS newscaster Eric Sevareid’s 
straight-faced shenanigans were 
fine. Backgrounding by cleffer Ben 
Ludlow musically suited the at¬ 
mosphere. Art. 


OSU Radio-TV Institute 
Gets Under Way Apr. 17 

Columbus, April 3. 

The 26th Institute for Education 
by Radio-Television, held under 
the auspices of Ohio State U., will 
open here for four days beginning 
April 17. The theme for this year’s 
institute will be “The Role of Se¬ 
rious Broadcasting in Today’s 
World.” 

Plenary sessions, discussions, 
television production demonstra¬ 
tion, clinics and the annual insti¬ 
tute reception will comprise the 
schedule. The site of the institute 
will be the Deshler Hilton Hotel 
i here. 


Vidpix Distribs’ Assn. On Tap 

- - ■ • - Continued from page 31 - -— 


ner of a fullscale public .and in¬ 
dustry relations body, doing every¬ 
thing and anything necessary or 
helpful to the promotion of syn¬ 
dicated films. This would include 
basic research, promotion, pubre- 
lations, et al. Probability is that 
producers without distribution or¬ 
ganizations would not be asked to 
join, since they and those of the 
distribs who are also in production 
already belong to the Alliance of 
Television Film Producers. As 
presently planned, it would be an 
all-distributor body. 

Timing of the announcement is 


i also important, coming as it will 
on the eve of the NARTB conven¬ 
tion itself. Though no decisions 
have been made, some companies 
are considering letting their $1,200 
yearly associate memberships 
lapse after this year, and the for¬ 
mative discussions in the associa¬ 
tion will cover the entire field of 
the distribs’ relationships, past and 
future, with the NARTB. 


Houston—Charlie Harrison has 
joined the announcing staff of 
KTRK-TV here. He comes here 
from Lansing, Mich. 



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nAmO-TKI.EVTSIOX 


yAfilETY 


Wednesday, April 4 , 1956 


3B 


Manie Sacks’ New NBC Status 


Continued from page 23 


ston. That could embrace those 
legit shows which they,bankroll. 

If and when NBC might go into 
more extensive film production, for 
tv or even theatrically, that would 
fall within Livingston’s realm. The 
former Capitol Records’ artists & 
repertoire man felt that he had be¬ 
come circumscribed in his a&r 
orbit, and in his negotiations with 
Sacks, which have covered six- 
eight months, the overall purpose 
was to give him an expended hori¬ 
zon for'production activities which 
the waxery didn’t permit. 

Livingston and his wife, Betty 
Hutton, will continue to make their 
home and business headquarters in 
Hollywood. 

Just to what degree NBC might 
extend its production further, or 
even set up its own studio, is 
for the future to decide. For the 
time being NBC felt it would 
rather farm out its film deals or 
become co-adventurer in packaged 
productions like Figaro Inc., the 
Joe Mankiewicz-Robert Lantz set¬ 
up. Among the “loose ends’’ in 
Kagran’s horizons would be the 
touring of the NBC Opera Co., plus 
the on - the - air NBC Television 
Opera Theatre. Another important 
area of its operation is merchan¬ 
dising and licensing of products 


: an even 
|i better iamorrow 



On March 18, 1949,. 
pioneering WGAL-' 
TV telecast its first 
programs. WGAL- / 
TV now enters its 
eighth year with a 
determination to con-', 
tinue pioneering . . . 
to give the best tele-| 
vision service possible 
to its viewers and the 
many communities in 
which they live. 

STEINMAN STATION" 
Clair McCollough, Preq, 



pegged on NBC personalities and 
properties. 

Carl Stanton’s Status Quo 

Carl Stanton is head of NBC 
Television Films, and so continues. 
That division, until recently called 
the NBC Film Division, was shifted 
from the status of a network unit 
into the Kagran operation three 
months ago, signalling the current 
expansion. 

Livingston’s deal is for five 
years under a straight employment 
contract; no participation, or any.- 
thing like that. He will alsa seek 
to enhance Kagran’s overall opera¬ 
tion with acquisition of new prod¬ 
ucts. Whether Kagran’s corporate 
name will be changed to some NBC 
or RCA identification is undeter¬ 
mined at the moment. Among 
other Kagran chores would be the 
buyup of existing packages that 
NBC-RCA might want to acquire 
for 100% ownership. Other assets 
conceivably would fall within the 
same' scope. 

In a Variety exclusive otfer a 
month ago RCA board chairman 
David Sarnoff hinted that Sacks 
would have to unload some of his 
chores but the formalities took 
place Thursday (29) when he and 
I Bob Seidel visited the RCA Victor 
hq on East 24th St., N. Y., and 
personally told top Victor execs 
ifcanaga, George R. Marek, Bill 
Bullock and Howard Letts. Later 
the 11 division heads were brought 
in and Seidel and Sacks also ad¬ 
dressed them. Accent was on 
Sacks' longtime association with 
the disk business—he was a&r 
topper at Columbia Records be¬ 
fore Gen. Sarnoff lured him over 
to RCA—and as a “first love,” 
Sacks expressed himself senti¬ 
mentally on his bowout. 

He complimented the Victor 
“team” for its excellent perform¬ 
ance and the fact that this first 
quarter will set a new high mark 
in the company’s business. 

Sacks, who personally handled 
talent negotiations with the top 
stars, most of them personal 
friends, spent the weekend phon¬ 
ing Victor artists like Dinah Shore, 
Tony Martin, Eddie Fisher, Perry 
Como, et al. to inform them about 
the general shift. 


Tele Reviews 

^ Continued from page 29 1 " 

as the interlude by the Westmin¬ 
ster Chorale of 20 high schooler 
voices for Easter Seals, and other 
items of community interest. Both 
Miss Hayes and Kerr play it casu¬ 
ally and at ease, and Norman Ber- 
nauer in the control booth knits 
it all together smoothly, including 
half dozen or so commercials, most 
of them regulars on the show. 


THREE BY 4 

With Al Myers, Lynn Merrill, Mor- 
rie Klipe 

Executive Producer: Sid Barger 
Producer-Director: Stan Morris 
15 Mins.; Wed. (28), 7:15 p.m. 
ANTHONY MUSIC CO. 

WLW-C, Columbus 
Initial program Wednesday (28) 
by this trio dished up helpings of 
semi-quiet, palatable tunes for the 
dinner and post-dinner pleasure of 
Central Ohio viewers. 

“Three by 4” features Al Myers 
on the guitar, Lynn Merrill as vo¬ 
calist and Morrie Kline as organist 
in a setting simulating a dinner 
restaurant (where the trio actually 
does play nightly), although the 
effect is not too successful. 

Title of' the program is a little 
too esoteric (three stands for the 
members of the trio and four for 
the WLW-C channel number), but 
show is an effective 15-minutes re¬ 
spite from the daily grind. Miss 
Merrill sings with restraint and 
with a minimum of detracting ges¬ 
tures. 

“Three’by 4” replaces “The Patti 
O’Hara Shpw.” Latter quit the tv 
show, she told the press, because 
of outside commitments Jshe is 
singing in a downtown hotel) and 
because the weekly show was 
“more trouble than it was worth.” 

“Three by 4” is a lot better 
show; Conn. 


MORNING SURPRISE 
With Tom Haley, guests 
Director: Joe Tanski Jr. 

60 Mins.; Mon.-thru-Fri„ 9 a.m. 
Participation 
KYW-TV, Cleveland 
This hour-long variety show is 
geared to both moppets and 
mothers. As such, It must reach 
put td include a wide range of sub¬ 
jects and events. And that the pro¬ 
gram does. For example, the pro¬ 


gram’s roving cameras in the past 
week; one covered the activities 
of the Cleveland Press, with a dif¬ 
ferent department telecast each 
day. It was enlightening and edu¬ 
cational tv that—-through good 
production and stimulating ques¬ 
tioning by Tom Haley in the studio 
—gave Press department heads the 
chance to tell their story. The sec¬ 
ond camera, on the street, picks up 
as unique a series of homo sapiens 
as one can find anywhere. 

Cartoons and a Mr. Rivitz offer¬ 
ing are strictly the lighter, mop¬ 
pet touches.•Mr? Rivitz, a man of 
metal played by Jay Miltner, is a 
foil for Haley’s palaver. 

Haley ties the entire stanza to¬ 
gether with a smooth^line of patter 
that includes interviews with per¬ 
sonalities in town. One morning a 
week is devoted to an interview 
with one of the communities’ may¬ 
ors. Several production techniques, 
including the showing of toys, 
trains, etc., with suitable ' music 
background adds to the program¬ 
ming effectiveness of the morning 
hour. Of course there are the par¬ 
ticipation commercials that gen¬ 
erally speaking, are blended into 
overall hourlong format. Mark. 


' Dick Moore 

Continued from page 31 ass 

the independent producer is al¬ 
most completely excluded unless 
he sells his program for distribu¬ 
tion over the very network com¬ 
pany that is producing competing 
shows of its own, which it natural¬ 
ly prefers to use instead of "an in¬ 
dependently-produced program.” 

On the matter- of “must-buy” 
provisions of the networks, Moore 
declared that “there are many ad¬ 
vertisers who would like to buy a 
good film series for use in the 
markets where they have distribu- 
tion, but cannot afford to do so if 
the only means by which. they 
could have it broadcast is to buy 
network time in cities where the 
advertisers’ goods are not even 
sold. Hence, the “must-buy” agree¬ 
ment between the network com¬ 
pany and its basic affiliates makes 
it impossible, in many cases, for 
the independent film .producer' to 
sell, or for the advertiser to buy, 
a program series which the pro¬ 
ducer is capable of delivering and 
the customer is anxious to ac¬ 
quire.” 

In proposing the elimination of 
the “must-buy” and “option-time”, 
agreements, Moore proposed a rule 
of thumb to determine violations 
which would limit The program¬ 
ming used during any one of the 
fpur segments of the broadcast day 
or in the 7:30-10:30 p.m. segment 
from any single source to 75% of 
its entire programming for that 
period. “We doubt,” he said, “that 
a network would assert the right 
to program a yearly average of 
more than 75% of the affiliated 
station's schedule during these 
particular time segments. Such a 
contention would not be consistent 
with the public interest and with 
the station’s responsibility to serve 
its own community. We also be¬ 
lieve that a great many affiliated 
stations would welcome the op¬ 
portunity to have 25% of their 
prime evening viewing time free 
of network-controlled programs, so 
that they could use this desirable 
time to carry local or syndicated 
programs sponsored by local, re¬ 
gional or national advertisers.” 


Prexy Jones 

- ~ Continued from page 27 
television viewing is now at an 
alltime high—over six hours p§r 
day per family.” „ 

Ziv report on local-level dealer 
activity stressed that the General 
Motors brands were leading the 
rest in sponsorship of syndicated 
film shows, and whereas the over¬ 
all dealer increase had risen 17% 
for Ziv, the GM increases have 
registered 22%. Sales v.p. M. J. 
(Bud) Rifkin says that much of the 
new GM dealer biz represents coin 
shifted to television from other 
media. Auto sponsors carry Ziv 
shows in a total of 48 U. S. mar¬ 
kets, with one or more shows 
sponsored by a dealer in each of 
these^ markets. Rifkin said keenest 
dealer competition in local televi¬ 
sion is in Detroit, Los Angeles, 
Kansas City, Chicago, ^Houston, 
Memphis, Richmond and' Jackson¬ 
ville. 

Other sources pointed out the 
following facts about the Mac- 
Manus, John & Adams experience 
•in video: (1) only 19.7% of Pon¬ 
tiac’s total 1954 budget of $8,418,- 
000 was spent in network tv; of 
the $3,964,000 Cadillac budget, 
only* $21,000 or 0.5% was spent 
in network video. That compares 
with a total automotive expendi¬ 
ture of $27,437,000 in tele in ’54, 
or 21.6% of all auto expenditures. 
Besides, Pontiac has had no less 
than 11 network tv shows since 
1950. - 


‘N.Y. Confidential' j 

Continued from page 31 

shooting outside and then inside 
the Hotel Roosevelt on Madison 
and 46th, this All on Wednesday 
(28). Thursday saw the crews on 
the Long Island City (Queens) wa-; 
terfront, then on Vernon Blvd. 
there; thence to Wall and William. 
St. in the financial district, then to 
Greenwich Village at Barrow St. 
and Seventh Ave., this in the rain. 
Big razzle-dazzler was Friday, 
shooting outside Penn Station, 
then through the subway turnstile, 
across the subway tracks and 
through the maze of corridors in 
a chase windup. Couldn’t conceal 
the cameras , on this one, though. 

Windup Monday and yesterday 
was shooting or interiors at the 
Parsonnet Studios in Long Island 
City. Post, brought in to direct the 
show, will edit the films and then 
return to the Coast, where he’s 
a prolific telefilm director. Also In 
for shooting of the pilot was Leon 
Fromkess, production v.p. of Tele¬ 
vision Programs of America, pro¬ 
ducers and owners of the series. 
Fromkess sticks around a week 
for some more homeoffice confer¬ 
ences with TPA prez Milton Gor¬ 
don and exec v.p. Mickey Siller- 
man' and then he too scrams for 
homebase. 


No Summer Slump 

n i. Continued from page si a—^ 

and anticipated boosts in Slimmer 
viewing this year because of the 
political conventions. 


Ed Lamb Buys TV-AM 
Time in Proxy Battle 

Akron, April 3. 

Edward Lamb, broadcaster and 
industrialist who is currently fight- 
ing for control of Seiberling Rub¬ 
ber Co., took to the air in a Friday 
night (30) 15-minute simulcast 
over WAKR-TV and WAKR, to tell 
Akron area stockholders his side 
of the bitter proxy battle. He paid 
for the program. 

Offered an opportunity to buy 
equivalent time for a reply, presi¬ 
dent J. P. Seiberling said he would 
go on the air this week over both 
the radio and tv station. 

This is believed to be the first 
time that radio and tv have been 
used for such a purpose. Lamb 
owns and operates several radio 
and tv stations, but none in Akron. 


Reggie Schuebel to N-C-K 

Reggie Schuebel has moved into 
the Norman, Craig & Kumm-el 
agency setup as a v.p., while at the 
same time she’ll continue to oper¬ 
ate her Reggie Schuebel Inc. agen¬ 
cy consultancy business. Miss 
Schuebel was brought into NC&K 
to work on the Democratic Nation¬ 
al Committee account, on which 
she’s been active in the past, but 
just this week the agency decided 
to make the association permanent. 

In addition to the Dems, she’ll 
work on other accounts in the shop 
while continuing to' service agency 
and advertiser clients of her own 
shop. 



2,500 Sq. Ft. 
Penthouse 


Hotel Gi'oat Northern 
111 WEST S7th STREET 

e Ideal for TV rehoarsalg 

• Ballet School 

• Dance instruction 

e Photographic or Art Studio 

• Or llvins quarter# 

14-hsur alavatsr rid iwltihbiard nrvlii 


Takes More Than 

Continued from'page 27 
in the studio, who gets his writers 
together with the director in the 
rough draft stage, who is at the first 
reading and at the rehearsals. 
You can’t produce good tv drama in 
pieces, by assigning one phase, of 
it to one person and another to 
somebody .else and leaving at that. 
Everybody involved in a show has 
to work together—the more over¬ 
lapping on the program the bet¬ 
ter the show.” 

Appointment of Davis to the pro¬ 
ducer’s spot by MCA, which pack¬ 
ages" the show, came after ‘Mort 
Abrahams, exec producer over both 
the live and the filmed segments, 
was upped to v.p. over all live 
production in the MCA stable plus 
additional program- development 
chores. Revue Productions, MCA’s 
film outfit on the Coast, continues 
in charge of the filmed portions of 
“GE Theatre,” with Allan Miller in 
charge. Davis has appointed * Ted 
Apstein to replace him as script 
editor. Apstein’s a vet telescripter, 
has been associate editor on the 
show on an informal basis and was 
represented on Broadway a couple 
of months ago with the “The Inn¬ 
keepers,” his first legit play. 


Rifkin also says the network 
policy of clamping down on hiatus 
privileges is having an effect on 
local and regional sponsors. One 
reason not mentioned by Rifkin 
but a fundamental one Is the fact 
that with an all-film business, Ziv 
and other syndicators are in a bet¬ 
ter position than the networks on 
offering a 39 and 13 repeat pat¬ 
tern, with repeat program prices at 
50% or even 25% of the originals. 


World Series TV 

■ ■ i Continued from page 23 

the policy change by Frick is the 
fact that few bliiechip sponsors are 
ready to fork out: $3,000,000 with¬ 
out some guarantee that it’ll be 
able to build up an identification 
over the years with the sportscasts. 
(Gillette used the Series, above all 
its many other sports shows, to 
give initial impetus to sale of new 
gimmicks such as the Gillette 
blade dispenser, three speed razor, 
etc., and is said to have found the 
.system quite effective.) 


rectors of . two stations assv 
duties past week here. They 
Larry Monroe at WNOE and ] 
Croninger at WTIX. 



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for the first time... an integrated in-the-lens prompting unit 
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is to film production what TelePrompTer is to live TV . 


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40 


ttADIO-TEIJEVISIOX 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Pji-RIETY 


Brownrigg’s 6 Month Appraisal 


; Contlnuod from page 25 ; 


Rediffusion or any other organiza- ( 
tion which would benefit from a 
lifting of the ban in all conscience 
lobby against it, says Capt. Brown¬ 
rigg—Britain simply has to re¬ 
cover its import-export balance, 
and credit restrictions are one way 
of achieving that end. 

As to the matter of advertisers, 
Capt. Brownrigg frankly admits 
that “we’ve been unable to con¬ 
vince some of them to come into 
television.” Asked if Rediffusion 
can’t use “case histories” to bring 
the reluctant advertisers in, he 
replies that the tv users won’t per¬ 
mit that information to be known: 
“they’re afraid their competitors 
would begin using tv too.” Though 
Rediffusion, which programs the 
weekdays on the commercial chan¬ 
nel, is on from 4 to 6 p.m. and 7 
to 11 fit’s black during the kiddies’ 
bedtime, by law), most advertisers 
have gone for the 8 to 10 period, 
and A-R hasn’t been able to con¬ 
vince them that the lower-priced 
daytime and fringe-evening times 
are more economical on a cost-per- 
thousand basis. “They haven’t 
gone into research,” says Capt. 
Brownrigg, “because it’s the top 
officers of the advertiser com¬ 
panies themselves who have been 
making all the decisions on tv ex¬ 
penditures. They place their busi¬ 
ness through agencies, but the 
agencies don’t have much voice in 
policy matters. 

Still a Political Football 

Capt. Brownrigg feels that the 
matter of commercial television is 
still a political football but that 
it has won the public over to the 
point where “neither party would 
dare put a plank in its platform 
advocating the abolishment of com¬ 
mercial tv.” Main opposition con¬ 
tinues to come from the Labor 
Party, which feels an industry so 
vital ought to be nationalized, 
while other opposition continues 
from “the extreme Right,” which 
feels it is a deterrent to cultural 
pursuits. “Should the Laborites 
come into power, they wouldn’t try 
to do away with us; they’d just try 



Tour 

for the 

COLOR W center 
of the 
nation 


Station, 



kard-tv 

WICHITA • KANSAS 

Represented by 
Edward Petry & Co., Inc. 

TOWER HEIGHT 1,070 FEET 
MAXIMUM POWER 100,000 KW 
COVERAGE 1.033,000 

40% OF KANSAS POPULATION 
PLUS 8 OKLAHOMA COUNTIES 
TOTAL RETAIL SALES 
51,198.145.000 


to prevent us from making any 
money.” 

One of the earlier heavy costs 
was that of film ventures under¬ 
taken even before A-R was on the 
air, to insure programs on hand 
when air date finally came. These 
were films, one-shots and series, 
shot only for the home market and 
without thought for sale abroad. 
Consequently, without a foreign 
market for the films, they incurred 

loss. For the future, there will 
be a sharp limit on production of 
films to begin with—comedy series, 
etc., will be done live wherever 
possible—but those put on film 
will be produced with an eye to 
the world market. Since the mini¬ 
mum production costs for a half- 
hour are about $18,000 and present 
circulation justifies an average 
half-hour program expenditure of 
no more than $5,000, the difference 
must be made up in foreign coin, 
primarily from the U. S. 

With this in mind, Capt. Brown¬ 
rigg has already set one deal, with 
CBS Television Film Sales, for 
U. S. representation on a 90- 
minute filmed dramatic series 
which A-R has undertaken at the 
rate of six a year. Contractor has 
gone into a West End legit theatre 
operation at the Saville Theatre 
at which it is presenting classic 
plays for eight-week runs starring 
Britain’s best actors, with recent 
attractions including Margaret 
Leighton, Emlyn Williams and 
Dorothy Tutin. “That’s the only 
way we can get them on television 
is by putting their names up in 
lights,” Capt. Brownrigg com¬ 
ments. Each play does a three- 
week tryout tour of the provinces, 
then has an eight-week run at the 
Saville, then shoots the play at a 
film studio for two weeks. It’s not 
repertory operation; different 
casts are handpicked fqy each play, 
and the entire cost totals from $45,- 
000 to $75,000 a program. In this 
instance, foreign coin is essential 
to prevent a loss. Deal with CBS 
calls for future representation on 
other product. 

Capt. Brownrigg expressed mild 
surprise at the widespread use of 
feature films on American tv, com¬ 
menting that the commercial chan¬ 
nels use little feature fodder. “We 
can’t use British features and as 
for American features, we’d rather 
use the time for American syndi-l 
cated programs like “Gunsmoke” 
and “I Love Lucy.” But once every 
two weeks, Rediffusion presents a 
French or Italian movie with sub¬ 
titles, and according to Capt. 
Brownrigg, they go over very well. 
As for program preferences, he 
finds the British prefer drama, 
whether classic or modern. In this 
vein, he’s been scouring for scripts 
and has compounded a library of 
scripts from the U. S., Germany, 
Italy and France. The U. S. scripts 
comprise mainly 93 plays original¬ 
ly produced on ‘Philco Play¬ 
house,” all ready for Rewriting and 
adaptation to Britsih settings and 
tastes. 


Tele Followup 

Continued from pa&e Z9 -■ 

cisive bit as the mother of one of 
the kids who hung out at Finkle’s 
store. 

Sidney Lumet’s direction cre¬ 
ated a nice sense of turmoil and 
confusion in the little store after 
Finkle’s name hit the frontpages. 
In every instance, the characters 
were allowed to overplay just 
enough to dispel the illusion of 
reality, and this was all for the 
best. Hi/t. 


Playwrights ’56 

This long and rambling account 
of an embittered man who holds 
everybody in contempt and hasn’t 
even a good.-word for the dead is 
not a pleasant way to pass an hour 
at the set, but once caught up in 
the. dark mood there was enough 
dramatic tension generated to grip 
the interest. At no point in the 
play, however, was there an allevi¬ 
ating influence to brighten the pro¬ 
ceedings and without a moving 
portrayal by Cyril Ritchard of the 
contemptible widower it would 
have been a challenge to sit it out. 

The title. “The Undiscovered 
Country,” stems from the Shakes¬ 
pearean line, . . from whose 
bourn no traveler returns,” and 
most of the narrative concerns the 
death of the town’s ne’er-do-well 
whose last wish was that Ritchard 
speak the eulogy at the grave. He 
searched and traveled to find 
someone with a good word to say 


Britain’s TV Time 

About the only profitable as¬ 
pect of Associated Rediffu- 
sion’s operations at this point 
is a publishing venture, TV 
Time, an operation similar to 
TV Guide in the U. S. but 
owned and operated by Redif¬ 
fusion. Circulation on the 
weekly listings-features-gossip 
mag is up to about 650,000 ac¬ 
cording to Rediffusion general 
manager Capt. T. M. Brown¬ 
rigg, and it keeps climbing. 

Reason Rediffusion is able 
to publish the mag virtually 
without opposition is a British 
copyright system which pro¬ 
hibits newspapers and other 
mags from printing any other 
program information than that 
given to them by the program 
owners, or Rediffusion itself. 
Hence, Rediffusion has a mo¬ 
nopoly-over all program in¬ 
formation, and it buys- up the 
copyrights of the weekend 
contractors, Associated Tele¬ 
vision, to furnish the complete 
listings. Another angle on the 
publication is a two-media tie- 
in for Rediffusion’s advertis¬ 
ers, by which they can make 
on-the-air reference to local 
distributors, coupon and pre¬ 
mium write-ins, pricelists, etc., 
published in TV Time opposite 
their__time slot listing. 


about the deceased, but even his 
own family couldn’t favor him 
with a pleasant word. So the 
eulogy was one of bitterness and 
the small knot of mourners could 
no longer stand it and left him 
there in his soliloquy of hate. A 
lonely man, deserted by his daugh¬ 
ter, handyman and even the family 
dog, he becomes a pitiful figure 
with his only regret that he 
couldn’t find something good to say 
at the grave. 

' Nina Foch, as the unhappy 
daughter with everything in life 
but love, had only one scene to 
assert her dramatic power and 
turned it on full force in dressing 
down the apostle of hate for judg¬ 
ing everybody but himself. Fred¬ 
erick O'Neal, J. Pat O’Malley, 
George Chandler, Vivi Janiss, 
Tommy Cook, Phil Tead, George 
,Neise and Fran Keagan .proved 
able auxiliary helpers. Producer 
Penn. gave the piece more of an 
arty treatment than dramatic mus¬ 
cle and used the pure diction of 
Ritchard to narrate the story’s 
progress. 

An Easter parade of models vied 
with the new lines of Pontiacs for j 
setside attention and perhaps won 
out. HelmJ 


I-Card Guild 

- ■■ ■ Continued 1 from page 25 1 ■ - ■- 

and SAG are jockeying wildly for 
jurisdiction over “electronic de¬ 
vices,” realizing that ultimately 
such as the Electronicam and elec¬ 
tronic tape will practically banish 
today’s methods of production. The 
battles, observers declare, will cre¬ 
ate confusion, make for production 
delays which, will in turn, decrease 
the amount employemnt for actors. 

The labor relations executives at 
^ ABC, CBS and NBC won’t say any¬ 
thing for the record about their 
feeljngs on a one-card (or at least 
a SAG-AFTRA) union. But the net- 
work and production execs—those 
who have less direct concern with 
the feelings of the union officials— 
are quietly lobbying in behalf of 
merger. These employers are in a 
position to exert influence on un¬ 
decided thespians either through 
logical argumentation or through 
the less attractive expedient of 
pressure. 

Even with logic and overall eco¬ 
nomics seeming to work in favor of 
merger, nobody close to the sit¬ 
uation believes that a merger be¬ 
tween SAG and AFTRA will be 
easy to achieve. History supports 
their apprehension. No fewer than 
four proposals to tie these and 
other talent unions together in the 
past decade have failed—even an 
elaborately blueprinted proposal by 
some experts from Cornell U. 

A union official said that finances 
are among the most troublesome 
blocks to union merger. He said 
that it’s nigh unto impossible to 
arrive at a “per capita breakdown” 
for each union member in a merged 
organization, since one union that 
is party to a proposal of merger is 
generally richer than the others. 
(The wealthy screen writers and 
their relatively pauperish breth- 
eren, the tv scribes, managed to 
merge under such circumstances, 
however.) 

He denied that union officials 
become overprotective of their jobs 
and prevent merger for fear of 
losing them. Just the same, there 
are a number of industryites who 
sense that inter-union jealousies 
and the desire to retain power are 
stumbling blocks to consolidate / 
of thesps. 


Sealtest Biff Top . * 

“Big Top” producer Charles 
Vanda went down to Florida State 
U. to recruit his circus troupe for 
the Saturday (31) stanza over CBS- 
TV via its WCAU outlet in Philly. 
The performers are all studes at 
the university taking Course 119 
in physical education—that’s the 
art of circus—as a regular part of 
the curriculum. 

The undergrads have learned 
their lessons well. ^They work with 
assurance and grace on the trap¬ 
eze, the high bars, on bicycles and 
on roller skates. Among the high 
points in the 12-act hour were Sue 
Herndon’s trapeze routine, Janet 
Graff’s swinging trapeze, the. High 
Bar Majors and the Seminole Trio, 
a hand balancing act. 

Show was neatly paced and Jack 
Sterling ringmastered effectively. 

• Gros. 

O’Friel Exits Dumont 

Paul O’Friel, who is director of 
labor relations and personnel and 
assistant secretary of DuMont 
Broadcasting Co., is ankling the 
setup shortly, it was learned. 
O’Friel, who came to the DuMont 
network nearly three years ago 
after a long tour with the Federal 
Bureau of Investigation, said he 
had not made definite plans yet, 
but was considering returning to 
the practice of law in Pennsylvania. 

O’Friel gave personal convictions 
as his reason for quitting DuMont, 
which owns WABD, N. Y., and 
WTTG, Washington, D. C. 

Spring Cleaning Coin 

Chicago, April 3. 

Hoover Vacuum Cleaners is 
backing its spring sales push with 
a sooL.c^p^^igu on ABC-TV and 
NBC-TV. 

Through Leo Burnett, firm in 
May is taking a four-week ride on 
former web’s Sunday and after¬ 
noon film festivals and six par¬ 
ticipations on NBC-TV's “Today” 
and two on “Tonight.” 


Agency-Client Rift 

S—^ Continued from page 27 ^ 

an overall production operation. 
But one vet agency v.p. points out 
that this can be taken care of too; 
that instead of keeping a show’s 
director on staff, the charges for 
the director can be made directly 
to the client. Similar action 
could be taken on other cost fac¬ 
tors so as to maintain .that 15% 
commission and yet enable the 
agencies to make television a 
prdfitable medium within, which 
to operate. 

One source sees all the extra 
services established by the agen¬ 
cies as a preparation for the fight 
to come. Services, including 
marketing, publicity, promotion, 
all are on a fee basis beyond the 
basic 15% commission. Should 
the time come when some houses 
knuckle under to a 7V6% bite, 
they are depending on these extra 
services to make up the differ¬ 
ence, it’s said. 


Hub Changes 

= Continued from page 24 ^ 

ager. Jay Dunn, formerly of 
WGAN-TV, Portland, Me., and Ed 
Robbins, former announcer at 
WKNB in New Britain, Conn., have 
joined the staff of station WKOX, 
Framingham. 

In other appointments at WKOX, 
Ken Ash has been named program 
director and Marty Tallberg, news 
chief. Richard Adams," general 
manager of WKOX, announced the 
new changes. 

Art King at WEEI, in addition 
to his duties as production mam 
ager, will now be in charge of the 
station’s public affairs department. 

Roy Whisnand continues as sta¬ 
tion manager of DCOP, which was 
sold this week by the Boston Post 
to Plough, Inc. 


Dallas—Joe Templeton, WFAA- 
TV staff announcer has left for 
Chicago where he will narrate a 
’23-minute color film for the 
Dresser Industries, the company 
that designed and fabricated the 
1521-foot Candelabra tower at 
Cedar Hill for WFAA-TV and 
KRLD-TV. 


COAST TEAMSTERS 
SPONSOR BALLCASTS 

Seattle, April 3. 

KTVW, Channel 13, has sold por¬ 
tion of sponsorship of 108 Seattle 
Rainier baseball games to the 
Western Conference of Teamsters. 
Games will include live telecasts 
from Sick's Seattle Stadium, as 
well as cable broadcasts from Port¬ 
land and Vancouver, B. C. 

Sponsorship believed to mark 
first time a group of unions has ' 
actively sponsored baseball tele¬ 
casts. Frank W. Brewster, presi¬ 
dent of the Western Conference 
(representing 400,000 teamsters in 
three states) also said the pro¬ 
grams would be used “strictly on 
a community service level.” All 
civic and charitable agencies within 
signal range of KTVW will be in¬ 
vited to air their appeals during 
announcements throughout the 
games. Teamster activities will 
also be promoted, with interviews 
being done both at the stadium and 
from KTVW studios. 


Emmys 

Continued from page 27 j 

Gregory, and he agreed the credit 
should be Wouk*s. Gregory, while 
saying he felt Wouk should have 
been credited with the tv adapta¬ 
tion which won the Emmy, denied 
he has ever been contacted by 
the Guild about it. “There have 
never been any discussions between 
us. Had there been, I wouldn’t 
have allowed it to go this far. I 
wouldn’t let it become a contro¬ 
versy because Wouk rightfully 
should have that credit,” he said. 

Gregory said he _and Schaffner 
just edited “CMCM” for tv, and 
that the Emmy being awarded them 
was A “the silliest thing that ever 
happened. I was embarrassed and 
thought it was all more or less of a 
joke. I didn’t accept it; I walked 
out.” 

Re the Guild beef, he asked: 
“Why didn’t the Guild speak up 
when the tv nominations were an¬ 
nounced? Isn’t this a little late?” 


Dallas—Dick Richmond, former¬ 
ly on the news staff of KLIF 'here 
has resigned to join the staff of 
WRIT, Milwaukee where he will 
take over .duties as director of 
news and special events. 


“45 MINUTES 
TO BROADWAY’ 1 

BAYSIDE SPLIT LEVEL ELEGANCE 
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greatest stars. Eight rooms facing 
Little Neck Bay, on a half acre of 
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inspect this Headliner in Homes! 
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limited. Only 100 at this low price. 
Men or ladies. Ref. Dun l Bradstreet. 
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Wednesday, April 4, 1956 



The ballots are in-and tabulated. 

The results appear in the May issue of 

TV RADIO MIRROR, at all newsstands April 5. 

And what an issue-featuring 

the best in television and radio for 1955-56, as 

selected by TV RADIO MIRROR'S 

nationwide poll of readers. To THE WINNAHS go 

TV RADIO MIRROR'S solid-gold medals— 

and to the discerning voters goes an 

entertainment-packed Ninth Annual Awards 

Issue filled with stories and pictures of 

the winning performers and shows. 

And from TV RADIO MIRROR,, reams of thanks 
to the networks, the agencies, the sponsors, 
and the stars whose cooperation has made 
TV RADIO MIRROR 
America's Largest-Selling 
Television and Radio Magazine 







42 


MUSIC 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Jocks, Jukes and Disks 


Album Reviews 


By MIKE GROSS 


The Four Lads: “Standing On 
The Corner”-“My Little Angel" 
(Columbia). The Four Lads will 
keep up their hot disk pace with 
“Standing On The Corner." Tune, 
from the legit musical, “The Most 
Happy Fella," is a bright and frol¬ 
icsome entry which the boys 
bounce into the winner’s circle. 
The Mills Bros., on Decca. give 
“Corner" a more moderate work- 
over, but it's still in line for plenly 
of play. Neal Hefti’s orch and cho¬ 
rus, on Epic, also give it a lively 
rendition. The Lads hgve a pleas¬ 
ant, if not too exciting ballad in 
“My Little Angel," on the Colum¬ 
bia flip. 

Doris Day: “Somebody Some- 
where"-“We’ll Love Again" (Co¬ 
lumbia). “Somebody Somewhere," 


(ABC-Paramount). This is Mitzi 
Mason’s first coupling for ABC- 
Paramount, she previously waxed 
for MGM. It’s an okay start for 
the thrush who continually shows 
a wax savvy that should grab hold 
once the right material comes 
along. She’ll get a good share of 
spins, though, with “Hearts Weren't 
Made For Breaking,” a brisk item 
which she punches in effectively. 
The theme from “Alexander The 
Great," parenthetically tagged 
“The World Is Mine," is a bit too 
topheavy for a commercial break¬ 
through.. 

Dick Hyman Trio: “Junglero”- 
“Hi-Lili, Hi-Lo" (MGM). Still rid¬ 
ing with the clicko “Threepenny 
Opera Theme,” Dick Hyman will 
get automatic spins with this fol- 



Best Rets 


FOUR LADS .STANDING ON THE CORNER 

(Columbia) .• •.■ -My Little Angel - 

DORIS DAY .SOMEBODY SOMEWHERE 

( Columbia ) . We’ll Love Again 

FOUR ACES .TO LOVE AGAIN 

(Decca) .-. Charlie Was A Boxer 


another tune out of Frank Loes- 
ser’s “The Most Happy Fella," is a 
strong ballad entry that's sure to 
get Doris Day back on the hit lists. 
Her reading is warm and fetching 
and the tune grows with replays. 
Pat Kirby offers some competition 
with her slicing of the tune on the 
Decca label. Miss Day's handling 
of “We’ll Never Love Again," an¬ 
other top ballad, makes this side 
worth watching, too. 

Four Aces: “To Love • Again”- 
“Charlie Was A Boxer" (Decca). 
Top exposure given “To Love 
Again” in Columbia Pictures’ “The 
Eddy Duchin Story” will get this 
side off fast for the Four Aces. It’s 
a class item, based on Chopin’s E 
Flat Nocturne and the boys treat 
it with respect and potent com¬ 
mercial values. “Charlie Was A 
Boxer" is a frisky special material 
piece good for occasional spins. 

Tony Martin: “Flamenco Love"- 
“Walk Hand In Hand" (RCA Vic¬ 
tor). The rich and melodic strains 
of “Flamenco Love” fit perfectly 
into Tony Martin’s balladeering 
groove - and the side emerges as 
good spinning bet. Martin gives it' 
a romantic appeal that will get him 
lots of spinning attention. He’s 
battling Denny Vaughan (Kapp) on 
“Walk Hand In Hand’’ so the jock 
preferan.ee will probably go to the 
-“Flamenco" side. 

Mitzi Mason: “Hearts Weren’t 
Made For Breaking’’- “Theme 
From ‘Alexander The Great’ ’’ 


lowup coupling. He displays a 
flashy keyboard technique on 
“Junglero," an exciting rhythmic 
entry especially good for the coin¬ 
box trade. “Hi Lili," is the w.k. 
instrumental of a few years back 
and Hyman’s interpretation gives 
it the proper romantic touch. 

Peggy Lee: “Joey, Joey, Joey”- 
“They Can’t Take That Away 
From Me” (Decca). “Joey, Joey, 
Joey,’’ another in the string of 
Frank Loesser tunes from “The 
Most Happy Fella,” is solid tune 
fodder for Peggy Lee. It’s a 
haunting piece with an. effective 
lilt and Miss Lee gives.it an inter¬ 
esting reading but with a bit too 
much echo. The Lancers’ version 
on Coral also rates spinning atten¬ 
tion as does their cut. of “When 
You’re in Love” on the flip side. 
Miss Lee takes the oldie, “They 
Can’t Take That. Away From Me” 
for an appealing ride. 

Roy Hamilton: “Since I Fell for 
You” - “Somebody ..Somewhere” 
(Epic). 1 There’s a rocking beat in 
“Since I Fell for You” that gives 
the side a breakthrough chance. 
Hamilton’s rhythmic feel gets it 
over with impact. He puts too 
many tricks into “Somebody Some¬ 
where" that dissipates the tune’s 
values. 

Les Elgart Orch: “La Chnouf”- 
“Saddle Shoe Boogie” (Columbia). 
Les Elgart continues as one of the 
swingingest dance orchs on wax 
and “La Chiiouf” should help him 


LAWRENCE WELK 

and his 

CHAMPAGNE MUSIC 

241st Consecutive Week 
rratgon Ballroom—Ocean Park, Cal. 
ABC-TV—Sat. 9-10 P. M. EDT 
Sponsored by 
Dodee Dealers of America 


get into commercial disk bracket. 
Tune, a foreign import, is bright 
and melodic and Elgart whips it up 
into an ear-arresting item. Noth¬ 
ing too noteworthy, however, in 
“Saddle Shoe Bo.ogie." 

DECCA INKS BELGIAN, 
LATEST O’SEAS 88’ER 

Latest of the foreign jazz hip¬ 
sters to get a wax showcasing in 
the U.S. is Leo Souris, Belgian 
pianist. Disks which Souris cut in 
his native country, will be released 
here on the Decca label. Decca 
made a big score last year with 
another foreign keyboarder, the 
German Crazy Otto. 

Souris joins such other foreign 
jazz names as Jutta Hipp and Joe 
Saye who’ve been tapped by U.S. 
wax companies. Miss Hipp etches 
for Blue Note while Saye records 
for EmArcy. The first Souris etch¬ 
ing, out this week, will be a cou¬ 
pling of “Le Chnouf” and “The 
Little Lost Dog.” 

Gene Becker Exits Col 

In a reshuffling of Columbia 
Records artists & repertoire staff 
last week, Irving Townsend took 
over the reins of the special disk 
singles department from Gene I 
Becker. Latter, who handled the] 
department for the past two years, 
ankled the Col orbit. 

Townsend, who moved oyer 
from Col’s advertising division 
last year as a producer of special 
album projects, will double in 
both departments.. K 


PtttifETY 


10 Best Sellers on Coin-Machines 


POOR PEOPLE OF PARIS (7). 


LISBON ANTIGUA (12). 

NO, NOT MUCH (8). 

ROCK AND ROLL WALTZ (13). 


BLUE SUEDE SHOES (3). 
JUKE BOX BABY (2).... 


MORITAT (9) .. 

HEARTBREAK HOTEL (2). 

SEE YOU LATER, ALLIGATOR (9). 


EDDIE, MY LOVE (1) 


Second Group 


(Les Baxter . Capitol 

l Lawrence Welk . Coral 

{ Nelson Riddle . Capitol 

l Mitch Miller . Columbia 

Four Lads . i.... Columbia 

Kay Starr . Victor 

S Carl Perkins . Sun 

l Elvis Presley . Victor 

Perry Como . ..Victor 

f Dick Hyman Trio . MGM 

-I Hayman-August ..... '..-.Mercury 
- [ Billy Vaughn . Dot 

Elvis Presley . .Victor 

Bill Haley’s Comets . Decca 

f Fontane Sisters . Dot 

{ Chordettes . Cadence 

i Teen Queens . . :RPM 


INNAMORATA 
HOT DIGGITY 


BO WEEVIL 


WHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE. 


TO YOU, MY LOVE . 

FLOWERS MEAN FORGIVENESS 
GREAT PRETENDER . 


MAN WITH THE GOLDEN ARM. 

I’LL BE HOME . 

A TEAR FELL ... 


( Dean Martin . Capitol 

IJerry Vale .. Columbia 

Perry Como .. Victor 

( Teresa Brewer . Coral 

\ Fats Domino ....: . Imperial 

$ Teen-Agers .;.....Gee 

-{ Diamonds . Mercury 

l Gale Storm .*_ Dot 

S Nick Noble . Wing 

I Georgie Shaw . Decca 

Frank Sinatra . Capitol 

Platters . Mercury 

j Dick Jacobs . Coral 

l Richard Maltby . Vik 

Pat Boone . Dot 

Teresa Brewer . .Coral 


Rex Harrison-Julie Andrews: 
“My Fair Lady” (Columbia). Co¬ 
lumbia Records has a Fort Knox 
on wax in the original cast set of 
the smash “My Fair Lady." It 
could turn out to be one of the 
alltime bestsellers, it’s that hot a 
property. The Alan Jay Lerner- 
Frederick Loewe musical has been 
fashioned for wax by Col’s exec 
veepee Goddard Lieberson with 
taste and care and he’s gotten the 
.most out of the stars Rex Harri¬ 
son and Julie Andrews as well as 
the orch under Franz Allers’ direc¬ 
tion. In certain numbers Harrison 
gets carried away and seems to be 
screaming into the mike, but the 
overall is an accoustical triumph. 
The Loewe-Lerner score is an ex¬ 
pertly integrated job of ballads, 
comedy and patter numbers. The 
tunes never wear and in several 
instances take on new stature with 
rehearing. Aside from the afore¬ 
mentioned Harrison lapses, the 
actor talk-sings his way through 
demonstrating a pleasant rhythmic 
flair. Miss Andrews projects plenty 
of charm and a rich piping style 
and Stanley Holloway bounces 
through a pair of rousers with 
ingratiating exuberance. Michael 
King comes to bat only once with 
“On the Street Where You Live” 
but it’s a standout shot. Package 
runs 54 minutes. 

Joe Bushkin: “Midnight Rhap¬ 
sody” (Capitol). This is an offbeat 
shot for Joe Bushkin who’s made 
his rep as a jazz pianist. Surround¬ 
ing himself with a posh orch back¬ 
ing, Bushkin has adapted a lyrical 
and rhapsodic mood to take off on. 
a dozen standard melodies. It’s a 
different Bushkin but it’s a highly 
appealing one. The orchestrations 
by Glenn Osser are rich and color¬ 
ful and Bushkin develops the mood 
interestingly. It’s a solid entry in 


the growing catalog of mood music 
albums. 

Jess Stacy: “Tribute to Benny 
Goodman" (Atlantic). This is the 
latest entry in the BG wax kick 
and it, too, will find its niche 
Stacy, one of the early keyboard¬ 
ers with the Goodman orch, has 
picked up a handful of top’ jazz 
sidemen to help him run through 
the flock of tunes identified with 
the BG era. His piano licks, of 
course, lead the way, but help from 
such blowers as Ziggy Elman, Vido 
Musso, Charles Gentry, Heine 
Beau and Babe Russin give the 
package a full-bodied flavor and a 
swinging beat. 

Victor Young Orch: “April In 
Paris” (Decca). Spotlighting his 
“Singing Strings,” Victor Young 
has come up with a melodic mood 
music set. The motif, as the title 
indicates, is French and the style 
is romantic. Most of the French 
melodies are familiar items but 
they all have a staying power and 
seem to take on a fresh flavor via 
the violin predominance. Included 
in the package in addition to the 
title tune are such items as “Be¬ 
yond the Sea,” “The River Seine,” 
“Autumn Leaves,” “Under Paris 
Skies” and “When the World Was 
Young.” 

Ray Ventura Orch: “Music Made 
In France” (Kapp). This package is 
a slick introduction to the current 
musical market in France. Working 
with material supplied by some of 
France’s leading contemporary 
composers, maestro Ray Ventura 
has come up with a melodicaliy in¬ 
viting package. The mood is pre¬ 
dominately romantic and Ventura 
plays it to the hilt. The composers 
showcased are Paul Misraki, Marc 
Lanjean, Alice Babs, Glen Powell, 
Jackie Weaver,. Emile Deltour, 
Lou Logist and Guy Finley. Gros. 


Songs With Largest Radio Audience 

The top 30 songs of week (more in case of ties), based on 
copyrighted Audience Coverage Index & Audience Trend Index. 
Published by Office of Research. Inc.. Dr. John Gray Peatman'. 
Director. Alphabetically listed. *Legit musical. A Film. 1i TV. 

Survey Week of March 23-29, 1956 

Ask Me . . . . ....ABC 

Can You Find It In Your Heart...Witmark 

Flamenco Love ...... t . BVC 

Great Pretender ..Panther 

Hot Diggity... Roncom 

I Could Have Danced All Night—♦“My Fair Lady". .^Chappell 
If You Can .Dream—t “Meet Me In Las Vegas”.. .Feist 

Innamorata—t “Artists And. Models".....Paramount 

I’ve Grown Accustomed—*“My Fai,r Lady” ..Chappell 

Magic, Touch . .Panther 

Main Title— i “Man With The Golden Arm”.Dena 

Missing .. .... Mellin 

Moonglow—t“Picnic” .. Mills 

Moritat—*“Three Penny Opera” ..Harms 

Most Happy Fella—*“Most Happy Fella”. Frank 

Mr. Wonderful—+“Mr. Wonderful”..Laurel 

Never Let Me Go—1“Scarlet Hour”.Famous 

No, Not Much ..Beaver 

On The Street Where You Live.Chappell 

Picnic—i “Picnic" .Shapiro 

Poor People of Paris ...Connelly 

Rock and Roll Waltz ....Sheldon 

Rock Island Line ...Hollis 

Serenade—t“Serenade” .Harms 

Shadow Woman ..Saunders 

Small Town ..Amer. Acad. 

To You, My Love . . ..Leeds 

Walk Hand In Hand .Republic 

We All Need Love .....Remick 

When You’re In Love—11 “High Tor".Chappell 

Wild Cherry..Hollis 

Without You ..Broadcast 


Top 30 Songs on TV 


[Figures in parentheses indicate number of weeks song has been in the Top 10] • 


(More In Case of Ties) 

A Little Love Can Go A Long, Long Way.Northern 

And The Angels Sing—t“Benrty Goodman Story"..BVC 

Band of Gold..LudloW 

Bo Weevil.. ...Reeve 

Chinese Rock And Egg Roll.Hackett 

8, 9, 10 (FU Never Get Mad Again).Sheldon 

Eleventh Hour Melody .Paxton 

Go On With The Wedding.Pincus 

Good Will ..Thunderbird 

Great Pretender.’.Panther 

Hot Diggity ...Roncom 

If You Can Dream—t“Meet Me In Las Vegas”_Feist 

Juke Box Baby .Winneton 

Lisbon Antigua .Southern 

Lullaby Of Birdland .Patricia 

Memories Are. Made Of This.Montclare 

Moritat—*“Three Penny Opera” .Harms 

Mr. Wonderful—*“Mr. Wonderful”....Laurel 

Never Let Me Go—1“Scarlet Hour”....Famous 

No, Not Much .Beaver 

Nothing Ever Changes My Love For You. .’ .*.’ .’Marvin . 

Poor People of Paris..Connelly 

Rock and Roll Waltz .Sheldon 

Rock And Roll Weduing .....Simon House 

Rock Right.....Marks 

See You Later, Alligator...Arc 

Small Town .Amer. Acad. ‘ 

Vino Vino—t“Rose Tattoo" .Paramount 

Who Are We .Thunderbird 

Without You ■. . .... Broadcast 






























































































































Wednesday, April 4, 1956 




MUSIC 


43 


ASCAP THE ANSWER TO ANGLES 


N.Y. Local 802 Turns Down Plea 
to Aid Anti-Petrillo Coast Group 


Tocal 802, N.Y. wing of the* 
American Federation of Musicians, 
v-ill not support the current leader- 
p of Coast Local 47 under act¬ 
ing president Cecil F. Read, in its 
fight against AFM prexy Janies C. 
pptrillo. At a membership meet- 
frS Monday night (2), 802 prexy 
A1 Manuti, who returned a few 
davs earlier from a Coast trip 
here he studied the situation at 
first hand, said he would not in¬ 
terfere in a purely internal 
struggle of another lobal. 

On the issue of the Music Per¬ 
formance Trust Fund contribu¬ 
tions. a sore point with Local 47, 
the 802 membership passed a re¬ 
solution supporting the continuance 

of the Fund, which alleviates tooter 
unemployment via cuffo concert 
projects/ Some 850 N.Y. musicians 
turned out for the meeting and 
adopted the resolution by a big 
n.rioritv after Read, who came to 
N.Y. to* attend the conclave, spoke 
for 90 minutes. 

Mam’ti s 5, d he believed there 
were 200 N.Y. musicians, at the 
most, who supported Read. Manuti 
caid while his differences with 
petrillo are a matter of record, he 
could not support Read m the 
current hassle. He stated that he 
disagreed with Read’s method of 
conducting the fight in the courts 
rather than through the established 
machinery of the AFM. While 
agreeing that the AFM setup m 
(Continued on page 49) 


Col’s ‘Fair Lady’ Set 
In Hot Col Getaway 
With 100,000 Advance 

Columbia Records’ original 
Broadway cast set for “My Fair 
Lady’’ is off to the biggest advance 
in the label’s history. Album ver¬ 
sion of the smash tuner hit t^ie 
market late last week withf more 
than 100,000 in advance orders. 
Col’s initial pressing run was 150,- 
000 copies. 

Hottest original cast album in 
the Col catalog so far has been 
Rodgers & Hammerstein’s “South 
Pacific.” Set, which also got off to 
fast start, has topped the 1,000,000 
sales mark since its release in 1945. 
Rodgers & Hammerstein, inciden¬ 
tally, also have another 1,000,000 
plus album seller in “Oklahoma” 
for Decca. 

The "Lady” set was put into -the 
groove March 25 and shipments 
to distributors in the midwest and 
Coast started going out 36 hours 
later. Retailers in the New York 
area had to wait until early this 
v.eek for their first shipments. The 
package was produced by Goddard 
Lieberson and stars Rex Andrews 
and Julie Andrews. Score is by 
Alan Jay Lerner and Frederick 
Loewe. 


SPA EXECS TO COAST 
FOR MEMBERSHIP MEET 

Abel Baer, Songwriters Protec¬ 
tive Assn, prexy, and SPA general 
counsel John Schulman, are due 
on the Coast tomorrow (Thurs.) 
tor a membership meeting of clef- 
fers^ in this area. 

It’s (he first SPA conclave in 
|' o years and it’s expected' that 
iere will be a report on the prog¬ 
ress in drawing up a new basic 
greement with the publishers, 
tne current 10-year agreement ex- 
Piles at the end of this year and 
nvvT execs have been studying 
Pioposals and amendments for the 
Past several months. 


MGM Marks 91 

MGM Records marl) 
•nmversary last week 
iafii? ee i ay Promotion, 
New York dist 
,S d the local platl 
th* V 8 ; lnch hirthdaj 
the deejays ran sped 

Pimy^g the hi * tor y ' 
Frank B. Walker, d 
. also was presei 
5l 'ipn$e. birthday cak< 


N.Y. News Payola Expose 

Obviously inspired by the 
Variety editorials on payola, 
Jess Stearn, feature writer on 
the N.Y. Daily News, last week 
wrote a series titled “The Big 
Payola.” 

He will follow it up with an 
expose on rock ’n’ roll, again 
- taking his cue from the 
Variety stories. The two 
yarns will run next week. The 
News’ audience reaction to 
“Payola” has been extraordi¬ 
nary. 


Glenn WaUichs 
Takes A&R Reins 
Vice Livingston 

With the shift of Alan W. Liv¬ 
ingston from Capitol Records ,to 
the NBC Kagran Corp., Cap prexy 
Glenn E. Wallichs, will take over 
as overseer of the a&r staff. (The 
Livingston move to the RCA-NBC 
orbit is detailed in the tv section.) 

Since the buyup of 96% of Cap¬ 
itol’s common stock by Electric & 
Musical Industries (EMI), British 
electronics manufacturer, about a 
year ago, Capitol’s top echelon 
setup has undergone several 
changes. Hal B. Cook, label’s vee- 
pee in charge of sales, was first to 
bow out in switching to Columbia 
as national sales director. Dick 
Linke, Cap’s national promotion 
topper, followed Cook to Colum¬ 
bia shortly • after to take over as 
head of sales promotion for pop 
singles. William Fowler, diskery’s 
acting general manager who was 
shifted to the electronics manu¬ 
facturing end with the EMI take¬ 
over, moved over to the Crowell- 
Collier publishing firm as head of 
its new disk club operation. 

As exec veepee and a&r topper, 
Livingston headed up an a&r team 
which included Lee Gillette, Voyle 
Gilmore, Dave Cavanaugh, Ken 
Nelson, Dave Dexter and Francis 
Scott 3d on the Coast and Dick 
Jones and ~Andy Wisvvell in New 
York. No changes are planned in 
the present setup. 


ABC-PARAMOUNT INTO 
ROCK’N’ROLL MARKET 

The new ABC-Paramount label is 
making its initial steps into the 
rock ’n’ roll field. Diskery will get 
into the r&b swing with Steve Gib¬ 
son’s Red Caps and Damito Jo, and 
The Flairs, The Gibson combo 
comes to ABC-Paramount from 
RCA Victor while The Flairs are 
new Coast combo managed by Buck 
Ram. The r&b slices will be cut 
by the label’s a&r heads Sid Fel¬ 
ler and Don Costa. 

In the pop field, the diskery has 
adddd the Russ Carlyle orch to its 
roster. Orch works the mid west¬ 
ern territory out of Chicago and 
previously recorded for Mercury. 
Orch’s first disks for ABC-Para¬ 
mount were cut in Chi last week. 

Jay Lasker Joins Kapp 
Diskery as Sales Chief 

Jay H. Lasker has joined Kapp 
Records as sales manager. Lasker 
had been with Decca Records in a 
factory and sales capacity for II 
years. 

First on Lasker’s agenda will be 
a series of confabs with Kapp dis¬ 
tributors to outline policy ana pro¬ 
motion for the singles and package 
lines. Last week Kapp switched its 
Minneapolis distribution, setup by 
bringing in Sandel Distribution to 
handle the label in that territory. 


4* 


IRVING BERLIN 


Larry Kanaga Takes Over Sacks’ Post 
As Victor Chief; Same Exec Echelon 


By ABEL GREEN 

In the midst of the furor over 
payola, cut-ins, rock ’n’ roll and 
other episodic controversies, Irving 
Berlin sees the American Society 
of Composers, Authors & Publish¬ 
ers as the one solid anchor of the 
creative and economic phases of 
the music biz 

Without ASCAP and its wealth 
of standard music, the dean of 
American songsmiths broadly 
states that not only could the 
music publishers and the song¬ 
writers not exist, but'neither could 
the record companies and the per¬ 
formers in all manifestations of 
show business. 

ASCAP music is the guts of the 
record business, regardless of the 
seeming multiplicity of pop songs 
from divers sources, now ranging 
up to 700 labels. The current crop 
is but a speck compared to the 
bulwark of'ASCAP music which is 
also the substance and the brawn 
of any sizeable television program. 
And, of course, this must also take 
in Hollywood in its broadest sense. 
No period song of any stature 
comes from any other source than 
the popular standards in the 
ASCAP catalog. No filmusical of 
stature is written by any but 
ASCAP writers. 

For Berlin, it’s the permanent 
values of the ASCAP catalog which 
will in the long run give the an¬ 
swer to payola and all the other 
forms of chicanery and skulldug¬ 
gery that have long pervaded the 
mores of the music industry. Ulti¬ 
mately, Berlin feels, they will have 
to stop making recording "deals" 
and start recording quality. 

The fact that some vested show 
(Continued on page 46) 


Si Rady Shifting 
From Decca As 
RCA O’Seas Rep 

Simon Rady, head of Decca’s 
longhair and kiddie operation, is 
joining RCA Victor as European 
representative. Rady, who will 
headquarter either in London or 
Paris, will coordinate the exchange 
of artists and repertory between 
Victor and its affiliates overseas, 
notably British Decca with which 
RCA just made a longterm recip¬ 
rocal deal.- He will cover both the 
longhair and pop markets predomi¬ 
nantly for the package market un¬ 
der RCA Victor album chief 
George R. Marek. 

Addition* of Rady to Victor’s 
overseas staff is part of the over¬ 
all RCA program to establish its 
trademark throughout the world. 
Move is designed to give r Victor’s 
U. S.' artists a global showcase and 
give the top European names ex¬ 
posure’ in this country. 


Most Busy Fellas 

Artists & repertoire disk 
chiefs of several major com¬ 
panies are doing everything 
but acrobatic routines these 
days. 

Mitch Miller (Columbia), for 
example, runs his own radio 
show on CBS Sundays as well 
as leading an orch on slices for 
CoT and Little Golden Rec¬ 
ords. Milt Gabler (Decca) 
dabbles In tunesmithing, latest 
being “The Saints Rock ’n’ 
Roll” cut by Bill • Haley’s 
Comets. Hugo Peretti and 
Ldigi Creatore (Mercury) re¬ 
cord their own orch and 
chorus under the tag of Hugo 
& Luigi and Their Family 
Singers. The duo also writes 
kiddie material for the label. 
And now Sid Feller and Don 
Costa (ABC-Paramount) are 
heading up .orchs for etch- 
: ings on the new .label..,, 4 


ASCAP $4,500,000 Melon 

ASCAP’s first regular quar¬ 
terly dividend of 1956 fell off 
only slightly from the peak 
$4,500,000 melon distributed 
last December. In addition, a 
distribution of coin earned 
overseas is due next month. 

At the present time, ASCAP 
membership roster numbers 
3,475 writers and 886 publish¬ 
ers. 

ASCAP Writers 
Name Cunningham 
Far Prexy Post 

Paul Cunningham, ASCAP’s 
representative in Washington, D.C., 
is slated to be the next president 
of the American Society of Com¬ 
posers, Authors & Publishers. 
Cunningham was nominated by 
the writer-members of ASCAP’s 
board in a caucus meeting last 
week, by a vote of seven-to-four 
over L. Wolfe Gilbert, ASCAP’s 
Coast rep who has been actively 
campaigning for the Society’s top 
post. 

Cunningham’s name had long 
been prominently mentioned as 
the successor to Stanley -Adams, 
incumbent prexy who must step 
down this monttf because he has 
served the maximum of three con¬ 
secutive one-year terms. It was, 
however, not until last week at the 
caucus meeting that Cunningham 
indicated his willingness to serve 
when Adams, as chairman of the 
caucus meeting, asked each of the 
other 11 writer-members of the 
board if they were interested in 
the post. Only Cunningham and 
Gilbert said they would be willing 
to serve. 

Cunningham was supported by 
Otto A. Harbach, Oscar Hammer¬ 
stein 2d, Alex C. Kramer, A. Wal¬ 
ter Kramer, Deems Xaylor, John 
Tasker Howard and himself. Gil¬ 
bert was supported by Gene Buck, 
Jack Yellen, George W. Meyer and 
himself. Adams, as chairman, did 
not vote. 

According to ASCAP tradition, 
the 12-publisher-members of .the 
board will okay the writers’ choice 
for the ASCAP presidency. It’s a 
one-year post at a $25,000 annual 
salary. 


CHAPPELL GETS SCORE 
TO ‘HAPPY HUNTING’ 

Chappell Music has wrapped up 
the score for “Happy Hunting,” 
the Ethel Merman legituner set for 
fall production. The score was 
penned by two new writers, Matt 
Dubey (lyrics) and Harold Karr 
(music). 

Book for the tuner is by Russel 
Crouse and Howard Lindsay. It 
will be produced by David Merrick 
and Jo Mielziner. Felice Brown han¬ 
dled the publication deal for the 
tunesmiths. 


MGM Gets Extra Disk 
Ride Via‘Pirate’TV’er 

MGM Records is gearing for an 
extra ride on its soundtrack set of 
“The Pirate” when the filmusical 
takes off on a three-installment 
ride on the “MGM Parade” over 
ABC-TV starting April 18. Pic 
stars Judy Garland and Gene 
Kelly. The score was written by 
Cole Porter. The pic was first re¬ 
leased in 1948. 

Diskery plans to make a study 
of the sales results during the 
three-week period with an eye to 
future re-release of filmusicals 
■from .which* >the« diskery has re- 
lea^d> ,spund^i^^ ^&ajga§, (> „. 


\ With RCA v. p. Manie Sa«ks mov¬ 
ing out of the company’s disk divi¬ 
sion (see separate story in Televi¬ 
sion Section), Lawrence W. (Larry) 
Kanaga will now direct all talent 
and sales activities for RCA Victor 
disks. It was expected that Kan¬ 
aga, who was appointed v. p. and 
operations manager of RCA Victor 
last May, would be named as Sacks’ 
successor in the general manager 
slot. 

Kanaga had increasingly been 
given additional exec responsibili¬ 
ties over the past year as Sacks 
devoted more of his' times to the 
NBC setup. Sacks, however, con¬ 
tinued to maintain final control of 
all talent deals made by the disk¬ 
ery, especially where it involved 
top names. Kanaga will now take 
over this job. 

The top echelon at RCA Victor 
otherwise remains unchanged. The 
exec command, working under Kan- 
aga’s direction, comprises Howard 
Letts, operations manager; George 
R. Marek, chief of the album divi¬ 
sion; and W. W. (Bill) Bullock, 
head of the singles division. 

Because of Sacks’ doubling be¬ 
tween the NBC and Victor for the 
past few years, a close liaison has 
been developed between the two 
divisions. It was under his regime 
that the network programmers be¬ 
came very conscious of the value of 
plugging Victor artists and disks 
wherever possible. The buildup of 
disk artists, such as Perry Como 
and Eddie Fisher, into important 
NBC video properties was also es¬ 
tablished under Sacks. 

Kanaga, a former exec with 
Montgomery Ward and Hale Bros, 
in San Francisco before becoming 
v. p. of the RCA Victor Distribut¬ 
ing Corp. in Detroit in 1947, has 
been general sales manager of the 
Victor record division since 1949. 
He is credited with instituting sev¬ 
eral major sales programs in the 
Victor company, most notable be¬ 
ing the sweeping price reductions 
in the LP field early in 1955 and 
the more recent coupon sales pro¬ 
gram. 

Bing Crosby Nears New 
Pact With Decca, But 
On Non-Exclusive Basis 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Negotiations have been virtually 
completed for Bing Crosby to sign 
a new contract continuing his two 
decades at Decca. Crosby has been 
off contract for several months, 
but has continued to cut sides for 
the label while negotiations were 
being carried on. 

Understood the new pact gives 
the Groaner freedom for an occa¬ 
sional outside recording fling if he 
desires, thus ending the long ex¬ 
clusive Decca has enjoyed. Bulk 
of* his work, however, would be 
with the label. 

Crosby’s first effort • away from 
Decca since he became a major, 
name will be participation in the. 
soundtrack album from Metro’s 
“High Society,” which has been 
acquired by Capitol through its ex¬ 
clusive with Frank_ Sinatra. 

JAZZ FETE SET FOR 
BRANDEIS U, CAMPUS 

An Intercollegiate Jazz Festival, 
sponsored by Brandeis U., featur¬ 
ing a forum panel headed by Rev. 
Fr. Norman O’Connor, Catholic 
chaplain at Boston U., and jazz au¬ 
thority, has been set for April 21 
beginning at 2 p. .m. The festival 
is a cooperative effort by the jazz 
associations of Tufts, Harvard, 
M. I. T., Boston U., Boston College, 
Northeastern U., New England Con¬ 
servatory of Music and Brandeis U. 

Reps of the participating colleges 
will sit in on the forum panel with 
Father O’Connor as moderator, and 
John M.cClellyn of WHDH; Bob- 
Martin of WCOP, and Milt Kray of 
WBOS. The Herb Pomeroy band; 
and the Jazz Workshop Quintet, 
local groups working out of the 
.Stable jaa? spot in the Hub, will, 
present ,a concert.^ . .•> _ . . ■ , . : 



Record Talent and Tunes 


44 


MUSIC 


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Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


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Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


PfiisiEfr 




MUSIC 


45 


f^RH^TY Scoreboard 

OF 

TOP TALENT AND TUNES 


Compiled from Statistical Reports of Distribution 
Encompassing the Three Major Outlets * 

Coin Machines Retail Disks Retail Sheet Music 

as Published in the Current Issue 


NOTE: The current comparative sales strength of the Artists and Tunes listed hereunder is 
arrived at under a statistical system comprising each of the three major sales outlets enu¬ 
merated above. These findings are correlated with data from, wider sources, which are exclusive 
with Variety. The positions resulting from these findings denote the OVERALL IMPACT de¬ 
veloped from the ratio of points scored, two ways in the case of talent (coin machines, retail 
disks; and three ways in the case of tunes <coin machines, retail disks and retail sheet musicJ. 


TALENT 

POSITIONS 
This Last 

Week Week ARTIST AND LABEL 

1 1 LES BAXTER (Capitol). 

2 2 NELSON RIDDLE (Capitol). 

3 5 PERRY COMO (Victor) . 

4 7 ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor) . 

5 6 CARL PERKINS (Sun) . 

6 3 FOUR LADS (Columbia)... 

7 5 KAY STARR (Victor). 

8 8 TEEN-AGERS (Gee) ..•. 

9 9 PLATTERS (Mercury). 

10 .. - PAT BOONE (Dot) . 


TUNE 

Poor People of Paris 
(Lisbon Antigua 
jPor't au Prince 

(Hot Diggity 
) Juke Box Baby 

fHeartbreak Hotel 
-(I Was the One 
(Blue Suede Shoes 
Blue Suede Shoes 

(No, Not Much 
} Moments to Remember 

Rock and Roll Waltz 
Why Do Fools Fall in Love 

(Great Pretender 
/ Magic Touch 

(I’ll Be Home 
(Tutti Frutti 


TUNES 

POSITIONS (*ASCAP. +BMI) 


Week Week TUNE PUBLISHER 

1 1 *POOR PEOPLE OF PARIS .. Connelly 

2 ■ 2 -"LISBON ANTIGUA. Southern 

3 3 fROCK AND ROLL WALTZ..Sheldon 

4 \4 *NO, NOT MUCH-. Beaver 

5 8 fHEARTBREAK HOTEL. Trce 

6 7 fBLUE SUEDE SHOES. Hi-Lo-H&R 

7 9 *HOT DIGGITY. Roncom 

8 6 fWHY DO FOOLS FALL IN LOVE . Patricia 

9 5 ‘*MORITAT . Harms 

10 * .. fl’LL BE HOME. Arc 



RETAIL SHEET BEST SELLER! 

e 




i 






New York—(MDS) | 

Boston—(Mosher Music Co.) 

Philadelphia—^(Charles Dumont) 

San Antonio—(Alamo Piano Co.) 

Chicago—(Lyon-Healy Music) 

Minneapolis—(Schmitt Music Co.) 

Kansas City—(Jenkins Music Co.) 

St. Louis— ; (St. L. Music Supply) 

| Cleveland—(Grossman Music) 

Los Angeles—(Preeman Music) 

Seattle—(Capitol Music Co.) 

T 

O 

T 

A 

L 

P 

O 

N 

T 

_S 


VARIETY 

Survey of. retail sheet music 
best sellers based on reports 
obtained from leading stores in 
11 cities and' showing com¬ 
parative sales rating for this 
and'last week. 

, * ASCAP t BMI 


National ' 

Rating 

This Last 

wk. wk. Title and Publisher 


.1 1 

tRock & Roll Waltz (Sheldon).. .. 

1 


2 

1 

3 

5 

1 

1 

2 

1 

3 

90 

2A 3 

'Poor People of .Paris (Connelly). 

3 

1 

5 

3 

.2, 

3 

9 

3 

1 

7 

2 

82 

~2B 2 

'Lisbon Antigua (Southern).. 

4 


3 

2 

1 , 

2 

3 

4 

3 

2 

4 

82 


'No, Not Much (Beaver). 


9 


4 

5 

10 

1 

6 

5 

4 

3 

5 

58 

J 5 

THe (Avas) . 


2 



4 

7 


2. 

2 

6 

aJL 

10 

49 

-l 

6 

'Moritat (Harms) . 



2 


6 

5 



6 

5 

4 

7 

39 

J _ 7 

8 

*Hot Diggity (Roncom) ... 


5 

5 

8 

9 


8 

7 

7 

10 

7~ 


9 

30 

29 

T~~To“ 

•ivir. wonuerrui (LaurelJ . 

*llth Hour Melody (Paxton) . 

8 


9 

7 


7 


8 

T~ 

8 


"Ti 

10 

11 

14 _ 

mi Be Home (Arc) . 


6 





9 

4 

9 

— 


8 

1 

19 

15 

nr 


tneartnreak Hotel (Tree; . 

tWhy Do Pools Fall in Love (Patricia) .. 

10 



10 


10 

5 


W 

9 


"l2 

I3A 9 

IsbTt- 

'It’s Almost Tomorrow (Northern) . 




R 

8 


10 



f 

5 

6 

9 

9 


mmim ‘ 

?BIue Suede Shoes (Hi-Lo-H&R). 


9 

7 





_ 


wmmmm 


6 


BE ASCAP Wrap Up Deals With 
See burg (or Background Music Jukes 


Reg Connelly in Deal 
For Col Picture Music 

London, April 3. 

Reg Connelly, head of Campbell, 
Connelly & Co. Ltd., has set a 
deab with Columbia Pictures Mu¬ 
sic Corp. in the U. S. 

Connelly’s firm will control all 
i original music from Columbia 
; films for Britain. 

I _._ 

Blasts Seem To 
Make Rock VRoD 
Only Get Hotter 

■ Boston, April 3. 

Although rockjn’ roll music got 
an editorial plastering in Boston 
newspapers following a riot at a 
M. I. T. disk which bop WCOP 
jockey Bill Marlowe emceed and 
was further castigated this week 
in Hartford by a psychiatrist who 
described it as a “communicable dis¬ 
ease,” rock ’n’ roll is still hot in 
Boston. Marlowe and two other 
Hub jocks who feature this music 
have not changed their format, and 
said they do not intend to do so. 

Dr. Francis J. Braceland, psychi- 
atrist-in-chief of the Institute of 
Living in Hartford, called rock ’n’ 
roll a “cannibalistic and tribalis- 
tic” form of music. Dr. Braceland 
said rock ’n’ roll appeals to “ado¬ 
lescent rebellion” and “insecurity.” 

Sammy Kaye climbed abroad 
the rock ’n’ roll controversy lash¬ 
ing out at Hartford psychiatrist 
Dr. Francis J. Braceland’s com¬ 
ments on r&b and teenagers. The 
bandleader said that the remarks 
were “thoughtless and in bad 
taste.” In a letter to the psychia¬ 
trist, Kaye added, “Please do not 
injure the millions of nice, respect¬ 
able youngsters who like rock ’n’ 
roll by automatically putting them 
in the same class as wrongdoers.” 


No Action in Hartford 

Hartford, April 3. 

City solons have decided against 
punitive action against the State 
Theatre for rock ’n’ roll disturb¬ 
ances at the vauder. Earlier in the 
week, police had instituted action 
against the house seeking revoca¬ 
tion of its license because of dis¬ 
turbances there during the shows. 

Action to revoke the theatre’s 
license became " stymied after 
charges of censorship were hurled 
at city officials. Both' sides agreed 
to sit down and work out the prob¬ 
lem. 

Police Chief Michael Godfrey 
announced that the police were 
mainly interested in the safety of 
the public and not in the perform¬ 
ances. He said that last weekend 
11 arrests were made. Since the 
start of r & r at the house last fall 
26 persons have been arrested. 

House operator Ted Harris (30) 
said that a Variety story about his 
theatre's r .& r diet was overboard. 
He stressed that no rioting took 
place during performances and 
that house did not subsist on an 
r & r diet as stated, 
i An examination of State The¬ 
atre advertising since Oct. 29 & 30, 
when first r & r was billed, to date, 
show's 13 shows billed for the 
house, ten of which either fea¬ 
tured r & r or had an r & r sup¬ 
porting act; one was billed as a 
“Rhythm and Blues Jamboree” 
and two as variety shows. 


KENTON ORCH CLICKS 
IN SCOTLAND DATES 

Glasgow, April 3. 

Jazz fans travelled several hun¬ 
dred miles by coach and train 
last week to attend four concerts 
given in the 4,350-seater Playhouse 
Cinema by Stan Kenton and his 
orch which played to around 12- 
000 payees. Kenton garnered top 
space in local press. 

Kenton’s European trek tees off 
at Oslo, Norway, April 14, and 
ends May 10. Group then returns 
to U.S. to do recording and tv 
dates in N.Y., and opens a long 
concert tour across America, wind- 
i ]ng / up .in HQlly in September. 


Chicago, April 3. 

A new licensing fee deal for 
background music installations be¬ 
tween Broadcast Music Inc. and the 
J. P. Seeburg Co., jukebox manu¬ 
facturing firm, was being wrapped 
up here last week on the heels of 
the recently signed licensing con¬ 
tract between Seeburg and the 
American Society of Composers 
Authors & Publishers. 

The BMI deal, a one-year pact 
automatically extendable by both 
parties for another year at its ex¬ 
piration, sets a basic licensing fee 
of 60c a month or $7.20 a year for 
1- each location. * The old agreement 
called for a flat $6 per location 
per year plus 1% of billings over 
$100 a month. In cases of multiple 
installations, such as shopping cen¬ 
ters where several stores make use 
of one installation, the first loca¬ 
tion pays 60c per month, with an 
additional 30c a month levied for 
each additional outlet. 

The ASCAP rate just set between 
ASCAP and Seaburg rails for a fee 
of $3 a month per location', with 
additional fees for multiple instal¬ 
lations. The higher ASCAP rate is 
attributable to the fact that the 
largest percentage of tunes includ¬ 
ed in Seeburg’s recently recorded 
1.200-selection background music 
library are ASCAP compositions. 

Under the new Seeburg setup, 
programs are constantly changed 
over an eight-month period. The 
library is composed of 200 45 rpm. 
disks with three selections on each 
side of a platter. The background 
machines each hold 100 records. 
Initially, a subscriber receives 100 
records (a total of 600 tunes); each 
month, 25% of the records are re¬ 
placed, so that at the end of four 
months, a totally new program of 
records is on the turntables and it 
is not until eight months have gone 
by that tha original program of 600 
tunes, or 100 records is repeated. 
Seeburg background music sales 
manager R. E. Lindgren was for¬ 
merly with Muzak and Functional 
Music. 

Wide Platter Coverage 
- Of Legit Score Makes 
Loesser ‘A Happy Fella’ 

Tunes from Frank Loesser’s 
“The Most Happy Fella” score are 
setting a hot pop wax pace. Frank 
Music, Loesser’s own publishing 
firm headed up by Mike Sukin, 
has already lined up 15 waxings 
on the first four songs which were 
kicked off with an April 1 release 
date. Firm is now working on four 
other tunes for release in mid- 
May. Tuner preems on Broadway 
May 3. 

Lineup so far includes three 
waxings on the title song, five 
etchings on “Joey, Joey, Joey,” 
three versions of “Somebody Some¬ 
where” and four slicings of “Stand¬ 
ing On the Corner.” In a departure 
from regular label practice, Loes¬ 
ser has had the diskeries insert 
a legend on the label with such 
information as what character in 
the production sings the tune and 
•in which scene the song is sunjg. 


Court Orders Hotel 

To Pay Muzak $850 

Albany, April 3. 

The N. Y. State Court of Ap- 
peads, in an unanimous decision, 
reversed the decision of a lower 
court and reinstated a judgment of 
$850 in favor of Muzak Corp. and 
against the Hotel Taft Corp. for 
monthly license fees unpaid from 
Sept. 1, 1952, to April 14, 1953. 

The opinion, written by Judge 
Adrian Burke, stated that the sole 
question on appeal is “Whether the 
defendant may terminate its con¬ 
tractual obligations to pay month¬ 
ly license fees to the plaintiff for 
the use of equipment without dis¬ 
continuing the use of the equip¬ 
ment.” 

The answer of the State’s high¬ 
est tribunal was that “The defend¬ 
ant in the case at bar cannot ter¬ 
minate its obligation merely by 
serving a formal notice. So long as 
it continues to exercise the right to 
use, it must fulfill its obligation 
to pay the license fee.” 










































46 


MUSIC 


I/S&TETy 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Irving Berlin On Music Biz 

Continued from p&ffe 43 ~ 


business interests are-shortsighted 
in countenancing payola and an¬ 
gles and cut-ins and embargoes 
against heretofore productive 
ASCAP writers is something for 
their consciences and, above all, 
their lack of business acumen. 

ASCAP is a $20,000,000-a-year 
business. The bulk of its income 
derives from some form of today's 
dominant electronic show business 
—radio and television; (The “live” 
phases are negligible comparative¬ 
ly—dancehalls, cabarets, variety 
theatres, and the like.) 

A sponsor spending $3,000,000 


on a network television program 
for a season knows that a sizeable 
tithe must be apportioned for the 
usage of copyrighted music. This 
music derives dominantly from the 
wealth of ASCAP catalogs. Even 
the most ardent proponents of 
Broadcast Music Inc. concede it— 
their primje raison d'etre is (1) in¬ 
surance against the future,. and 
(2) the hope of building similar 
values with time. 

Dominantly, the recording men 
who matter address themselves to 
the proposition that, from within 
their ranks, along with the inde¬ 


pendent labels, have come the hits. 
“We don't care who writes ’em; 
we only are interested in. pro¬ 
ducing a record that'll sell,” 

In. the same idiom are the disk 
jockeys. They, too, are the latter- 
day pundits of the music business. 
One of them cracked, “What’s the 
difference between you fellers on 
Variety criticizing records and 
us?” It never occurs to them that 
they're the judge and the jury as 
well, because unlike the critical 
function of sideline appraisal they 
have the deadly advantage of be¬ 
ing able to “hang” a tune or lay 
on it. 

Cycles and Trends 
Berlin has always had a tolerant 
attitude about cycles and trends in 
the music business. He never de¬ 
precated “Tennessee Waltz” be¬ 


cause It was “corny.” And when 
pops like “I Saw Mommy Kissing 
Santa Claus” and “Doggie in the 
Window” were in their vogue he 
has stated for publication to 
Variety that a good oldfashioned 
waltz was always popular; that 
novelties were always in demand 
(whether today’s “Doggie” or yes¬ 
terday’s “Ja-Da”), and as for 
“Mommy” he thought it was a hit 
“because it deserved to be; it had 
a fresh, original Idea.” 

So he is not impatient with rock 
'n' roll and its wildest manifesta¬ 
tions of “See You Later, Alligator.” 
Says Berlin, “I myself wrote rag¬ 
time tunes by the ‘bale, but one 
‘Alexander’s Ragtime Band* be¬ 
came staple. There has been jazz 
galore but only a Gershwin be¬ 
comes immortal with ‘I Got 


now touring the U.S.A. 

TED HEATH 




4th PALLADIUM 
CONCERT 

The Great Lie • The Boogie Blue* • My Funny Valentine ♦ Between 
The Devil And The Deep Blue Sea • The Nearnest Of You • Short 
Stop • Prelude To Percussion • King Porter Stomp • Nola • Wood 
Chopper!* Ball • Halleluiah • Manhattan • 1 Didn't Know What 
Time It Was • Listen To My Music. 3.9S U 1379 



AND HIS ORCHESTRA 


April 1956 

Cities: 

Sun. 1 

San Antonio, Texas 

Mon. 2 

Fort Worth, Texas 

Tues. 3 

Houston, Texas 

Wed. 4 

College Station, Texas 

Thurs. 5 

Wichita Falls, Texas 

Fri. 6 

Dallas, Texas 

Sat. 7 

New Orleans, La. 

Sun. 8 

New Orleans, La. 

Mon. 9 

Mobile, Ala. 

Tues. 10 

Birmingham, Ala. 

Wed. • 11 

Greenville, S. C. 

Thurs. 12 

Charlotte, N. C. 

Fri. 13 

Raleigh, N. C. 

Sat. 14 

Norfolk, Va. 

Sun. 15 

Richmond, Va. 

Mon. 16 

Winston Salem, N. C. 

Tues. 17 

Atlanta, Ga. 

Wed. 18 

Louisville, Kentucky 

Thurs. 19 

Columbus, Ind. 

Fri. 20 

Elkhart, Ind. 

Sat. 21 

St. Louis, Mo. 

Sun. 22 

Detroit, Mich.* 

Mon. 23 

E. Lansing, Mich. 

Tues. 24 

Columbus, Ohio 

Wed. 25 

Erie, Pa. 

Thurs. 26 

Rochester, N. Y. 

Fri. 27 

Pittsburgh, Pa. - 

Sat. 28 

Charleston, W. Va. 

Sun. 29 

Washington, D. C. 

Mon. 30 

Worcester, Mass. 


May 1st—Tuesday 
Carnegie Hall, N.Y.C. 



Netmt Singfei 

SIBONEY 

MALAGUENA 

CLOUDBURST 


Rhythm’ and ‘Rhapsody In Blue’ 
There have been blues by the mile 
but there's one topper, W. n 
Handy’s ‘St. Louis Blues.’ There 
has been swing and jive and Latin 
and socalled ‘Continental’ cycles ‘ 
but the ballads have always surv¬ 
ived.” 

Repetition Makes Reputation 

What does emerge is that most 
publishers seem to subscribe to 
what Bernard Gimbel once told 
this reporter was an advertising 
catchphrase given him for Gimbel 
Bros, department store Usage by 
the late Hearst editor, Arthur Bris¬ 
bane: “Repetition makes reputa¬ 
tion.” This repetitiveness is sound 
for an affirmative merchandising 
approach. What the music men 
persist in is: “Heck, this has been 
going on for 40 or 50 years, so how 
can you clean it up?” 

But whaj; is bringing this situ¬ 
ation into sharpest focus is the su¬ 
periority of some come-lately a&r 
entrepreneur: “I don’t care how 
much he makes from ASCAP” or 
“the parade has passed him by,” 
“or why doesn't he ‘operate’ like 
his more enterprising colleagues.” 

Compulsory License 

If the “compulsory license” ever 
is removed from the Copyright 
Act—and there is enough of a con¬ 
certed move right now to see that 
possibly happening some time— 
thfere vyill he a new chorus in Tin 
Pan. Alley. 

“It’s all -right to give the new 
writers a crack with some new 
artist, and if it happens it’s jack¬ 
pot; but what is wrong with possi¬ 
bly also giving an established 
writer a similar opportunity?” 
asks Berlin. “And make sure that 
a good artist gives that song a 
good interpretation, and maybe 
the American public will still 
again have a more consistent aver¬ 
age of quality popular music.” 

Another (again requested anony¬ 
mous) publisher, “Fact remains 
that while we're' being fluffed off 
on our pop entries, while some 
whistle-stop reconstructed hillbilly 
gets the nod from a top artist, the 
record companies depend almost 
entirely on ASCAP standards for 
their packaged albums. These 
LPs are almost 100% anthologies 
of the cream of the crop of our 
popular standards, given new vo¬ 
cal instrumental ‘mood’ or what¬ 
ever treatment—but it’s always 
the bulwark of ASCAP music. 
Let ’em try and do it with some 
of the recent Hit Parade stuff. 
Even the Hit Parade tv show bol¬ 
sters, its weekly programs with a 
‘Lucky Strike extra’ — and of 
course that’s always a popular 
standard fropi the ASCAP cata¬ 
log.” 

The sum-up is (1) That the music 
business would be nonexistent 
without the ASCAP income. 
(2) The competitive scrounging for 
the. current pop record is a pit¬ 
tance compared to the wealth de¬ 
rived from popular standard cata¬ 
log performances. (3) The diskeries 
are shortsighted in short-circuiting 
some of the old-line music firm* 
and writers whose works, on the 
other hand, redound so important¬ 
ly to their immediately subjective 
business (albums, etc.) and to their 
affiliated ventures, whether for 
usages by the disk artists in their 
personal and tv performances, and 
to the overall show business pic¬ 
ture. 



PROGRAM TO-DAY 

YESTERDAY'S 


KITTY FROM 
KANSAS CITY 

Music by 

JESSE GREER 

Published by FEIST 

799 7th Ave., New York 19 










































































to carry 







48 


MUSIC 


PS&1ETY 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Capitol Tower 
ToBe Preemed In 
Hollywood Style I 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Capitol Records has set a Holly 
wood-style premiere to introduce 
its new circular office building to 
the public Friday (6) night. Coast 
plattery cuts the ribbon on its new 
homeoffice amid festivities that will 
include film stars, guided tours and 
the recording of voices of top 
names for posterity. 

Shindig, including a cocktail 
party, will run from 6 to 9 p. m., 
and the label has 'made arrange¬ 
ments with the city for the con¬ 
struction of bleachers on adjacent 
sidewalks for the benefit of fans 
who may come to gawk at the 
celebrities. Approximately 1,500 
persons, including tv, radio and 
musical figures, as well as deejays 
and the press, have been invited to 
attend and Capitol has recruited 
more than two dozen spielers to act 
as-guides for the tour of the build¬ 
ing. 

Searchlight affair precedes a se¬ 
ries of tours of the building and 
the opening celebration, lasting 
roughly a month, will be climaxed 
by a salute on Ed Sullivan’s CBS- 
TV show now in the works. 


50 CAPE MAY T00TERS 
CAN’T GET AFM CHARTER 

Cape May, N. J., April 3. 

A band of 50 local Cape May 
county musicians are being re¬ 
buffed in their efforts to obtain_an 
American Federation of Musicians 
charter. The musicians seek the 
charter to land more of the Jersey 
Cape resort night club jobs and 
serve as the collecting agency for 
dues amounting to nearly $50,000 
In Wildwood alone each summer. 

Richard Nece, representative of 
the Cape May county group, said 
that several resident musicians 
were dropped from local county 
jobs this winter because the Local 
77 of Philadelphia branded the 
county group as “an outlaw group.” 
Philadelphia Local 77 has always 
controlled the Cape May county 
night club, hotel, ballroom and 
concert musical scene, even though 
the Jersey Cape resorts are ap¬ 
proximately 80 miles from that 
city. 

State Senator Charles Sandmann, 
Cape May county‘Republican, has 
* made several visits to union head¬ 
quarters in Newark and New York 
but has not yet landed a charter 
.for the local AFM headquarters 
in New York has referred the 
county local to the Philadelphia 
local which has not accepted them. 


FOR YOUR PROGRAM 
MONDAY THRU SUNDAY 



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KAniETY 

Survey of retail disk best 
sellers based on reports ob 
tained from leading stores in 
19 cities and showing com¬ 
parative sales rating for this' 
and last week. 


—(R H. Macy Co 

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National 
Rating: 
This Last 
wk. wk. 


Artist, LabeL Title 



New York 

<3 

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J 

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3 

IS 

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Boston—( 

Albany— 

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Miami—(J 

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Cleveland 

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Denver— 

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LES BAXTER (Capitol) 
“Poor People of Paris”. 




1 

4 

2 

6 

1 

3 ' 

2 

8 

4 

1 

2 

4 


5 


l 

2 

8 132 

2 

2 

NELSON RIDDLE (Capitol) 

“Lisbon Antigua”. 


2 



3 

5 

2 


3 


3 

2 

5 

3 


4 


3 

4 

4 

99 

3 

7 

ELVIS PRESLEY (Victor) 

“Heartbreak Hotel”. 



3 

2 





1 

7 

1 

7 


1 

l 





1 

75 

4 

6 

CARL PERKINS (Sun) 
“Blue Suede Shoes”. . . 


10 

7 

1 

8 



6 



7 

8 

3 

2 

5 

2 

3 . 




70 

5 

5 

TEEN-AGERS (Gee) 

“Why Do Fools Fall In Love”. 


3 

5 

9 


8 

7 

9 

8 


' 

4 

1 



3 


2 


7 

61 

6 

11 

PERRY COMO (Victor) 
“Hot Diggity”. 



7 

2 


5 


3 

1 




10 

4 

10 


1 





56 

7 

3 

FOUR LADS (Columbia) 

“No, Not Much”. 


l 


8 

10 

7 


8 

9 



3 

8 

5 


9 


5 

1 


55 

8 

4 

KAY STARR (Victor) 
“Rock and Roll Waltz”. 



3 



4 




4 


2 

5 


7 


6 




3 

54 

9 

8 

PAT BOONE (Dot) 

“I’ll Be Home”. 


6 


5 


2 

8 


5 



9 


6 






5 

42 

10 

12 

PERRY COMO (Victor) 
“Juke Box Baby”. 




8 

3 






10 

9 


4 


2 


.. 

6 



35 

11 

9 

DICK HYMAN TRIO (MGM) 

“Moritat” . 



10 



3 

4 


7 



6 

9 








27 

12 

10 

PLATTERS (Mercury) 
“Great Pretender”. 







4 

6 


10 









8 


9 

24 

13A 18 

LONNIE DONEGAN (London) 

“Rock Island Line”. 








7 


2 




9 




4 



22 

13B 20 

RICHARD MALTBY (Vik) 

“Man With the Golden Arm”. 








2 





6 


3 






22 

15 


MORRIS STOLOFF (Decca) 

“Moon Glow” . 





1 

"1 















20 

16A 16 

DICK JACOBS (Coral) 
“Man With the Golden 

Arm”. 





6 




6 








2 . 




19 

16B 18 

PLATTERS (Mercury) 
“Magic Touch”. 




4 

6 




4 













19 

18 


LITTLE RICHARD (Specialty) 

“Long, Tall Sally”. 










1 





4 






17 

19 

22 

DIAMONDS (Mercury) 
“Why Do Fools Fall in 

Love”... 











5 



8 

6 






14 

20 

14 

TERESA BREWER (Coral) 

“A Tear Fell”. 






10 





8 




8 


6 . 



10 

13 

21 

13 

BILL HALEY’S COMETS (Decca) • 

“See You Later, Alligator”. 

9 











10 





7_ 


6 

12 

22 

17 

CHORDETTES (Cadence) 

“Eddie, My Love”. 










4 



7 








11 

23 


GEORGE CATES (Coral) 

“Moon Glow”. 

















1 . 




10 

24’ 

23 

PEGGY LEE (Decca) 
“Mr. Wonderful”. 







9 

5 














8 

25 


TEEN QUEENS (RPM) 
“Eddie, My Love”. 




9 

10 



9 








10 






6 


1 



2 


3 

4 




5 

1 


6 


l 

7 


1 

8 



9 

1 

r 

10 


CAROUSEL 

Film Soundtrack 

Capitol 

W 694 

EDM 694 

HARRY 

BELAFONTE 

Harry Belafonte 

Victor 

LPM 1150 

ELVIS PRESLEY 

Elvis Presley 

Victor 

LPM 1254 

MUSIC FOR 

SWINGING 

LOVERS 

Frank Sinatra 

Capitol 

W 653 

MAN WITH THE 

GOLDEN ARM 

Film Soundtrack 

Deccst- 
DL 8257 

ED 2335-6-7 

OKLAHOMAI 

Film Soundtrack 

Capitol 

SOA 595 

FDM 1, 2-595 

BENNY 

GOODMAN 

STORY 

Benny Goodman 

Decca 

DL 8252-3 
ED 797-8-9 

5 TROMBONES, 

4 FRESHMEN 

Four Freshmen 

Capitol 

T 683 

EAP 1,2,3-683 

JULIE IS HER 

NAME 

Julie London 

Liberty 
LRP 3006 

BUBBLES IN 

THE WINE 

Lawrence Welk 

Coral 

57038 


Styne and Cahn s 

“SATURDAY NIGHT 
IS THE 

LONELIEST NIGHT 
IN THE WEEK" 

CAHN MUSIC, Inc. 


Band Review 


JUTTA HIPP TRIO 
Hickory House, N. Y. 

Jutta Hipp, distaff pianist, is the 
latest of the foreign jazz names to 
get a crack at the U. S. circuit. In 
recent months Bernard Pfeiffer 
(French), Pia Beck (Dutch), Tosh- 
ika Akiyoshi (Japanese), Joe Saye 
(Scot) and Enrique Villegas (Ar- 


Columbia and Norgran Records 

TEDDY WILSON 

and His FAMOUS TRIO 

Currently—BANDBOX, Rochester, N. Y. 

April 16—TOWN TAVERN, Toronto 
April 30—LOOP LOUNGE, Cleveland 
June 18—EMBERS, New York 


ASSOCIATED BOOM CORPORATION 


JOE GLASER, Pres. 
York I Chicaqo 
PL. 9-4600 I 203 No. Wabash 


Hollywood 

8619 SurMct Blvd. 


gentinian) have been hitting the 
keyboard here in styles ranging 
from dixieland to bop. 

Miss Hipp, a looker from West 
Germany, leans towards the pro¬ 
gressive school" with a calculated 
and brittle styling. Like other 
Continental jazz performers she 
has apparently used the disks 
made by U. S. hipsters as her text¬ 
books and styling guide. She’s yet 
to develop a definite technique of 
her own, but nevertheless, her 
music is easy to take. When she 
first took off on the jazz kick about 
10 years ago, she used Fats Waller 
and Teddy Wilson as models. Now 
she digs Horace Silver, pianist 
with the cool Jazz Messengers, 
which gives an indication as to 
the direction in which she’s mov¬ 
ing. Incidentally, she avers the 
“hip” part of it is coincidental to 
her square handle. 

Her interpretations of the stand¬ 
ard tunes, at present, are offered 
with clean and accurate strokes, 
but without too much fire. Some 
emotional kicks come, however, 
when she takes off on such faves 
as “A Foggy Day” and “Pennies 
From Heaven.” 

She draws an okay rhythm assist 
from Peter Ind on bass, and Ed¬ 
mund Thigpen on drums. Gros. 


Martin Joins Kahl-Levy 

Mack Martin has joined the Phil 
Kahl-Morris Levy publishing oper¬ 
ation as professional manager. 
He’ll head up the duo’s three 
firms, Planetary Music, Patricia- 
Kahl and I£ahl Music, 


Frankfurt Fair Accents 
Upbeat of 45 RPM Disks 
In Reich Juke Market 

Frankfurt, -March 27. 
The Frankfurt Messe, Europe’s 
largest international semi-annual 
trade fair, during its run here re¬ 
cently had an entire building hous¬ 
ing jukeboxes. Because of the big 
interest in the coin-machines here, 
they were housed separately in¬ 
stead of as usual with the standard 
music instruments. The big trend, 
shown by all the German and 
U. S. box manufacturers, empha¬ 
sized the interest here for 45 rpm 
disks. Most of the machines on 
display offered 40 to 60 records. 

The largest U. S. displays were 
the Seeburg and Wurlitzer. The 
American companies still ship over 
the machines, ami have the cabi¬ 


nets built in Germany. Major Ger¬ 
man competitors like Bergmann 
and Ton-O-Mat, however, make the 
entire works and cabinet here, at 
a lower cost than the U. S. product 
because of import duties. Price 
for the large boxes runs around 
$ 1 , 000 . 


From The M-G-M Picture 
"FOREVER DARLING" 

FOREVER 

DARLING 

_ LEO FEIST. INC. 



America's-Fastest 
^Selling "Records! 




































































Wednesday, April 4, 1956 __ 

Inside Stuff-Music 

George Gershwin’s debt to the late Joseph Schillinger, which is 
mewhat brushed in the current David Ewen biography, “A Journey 
|° Greatness,” is amplified by publicist Earl E. Ferris who once handled 
blicity for a radio show, sponsored by a laxative chewing gum, on 
P ’hich Gershwin appeared. Ferris writes: “I know that with his 
mirrors and slide rules, Schillinger was helping George a hellu^t lot 
on Torgy and Bess.’ Actually, George said in my hearing that the . 
only inspired melody was (Summertime’ and that he worked out all 
the rest with algebraic formulae f . . Unquestionably, Gershwin was J 
a great man, but there is no reason to ignore or slough off the great 
little mathematics professor from Russia who got him away from end¬ 
ing each song a third up or a third down, as happens in most of his 
popular songs.” _ < 

A breakdown of plugs on the “Your Hit Parade” show since its in- 
tion in 1935 shows that Irving Berlin’s “White Christmas” is the ( 
frontrunner with 36 performances. Runners-up are “People Will Say i 
We’re in Love,” from the “Oklahoma” score, and “Harbor Lights,” 
both having been on the show for 29 weeks. “Too Young” topped j 
the show for 11 weeks while “Because of You” also held first place 
for 11 weeks. Other songs in the top spot for at least 10 times were 1 
‘•Buttons and Bows,” “Hey There,” “I Hear a Rhapsody,” “If,” “I’ll 
Be Seeing You,” “Now Is the Hour,” “Peg o’ My Heart,” “Some En¬ 
chanted Evening” and “A Tree in the Meadow.” A total of 1,201 songs 
have been performed on the show over the years, not counting the 
interpolated standards. 

Due to a typographical error in last week’s issue in a story concern¬ 
ing the U. S. Government’s study of the Copyright Act and related 
matters, a quotation was incorrectly ascribed to Abe A. Goldman, prin¬ 
cipal legal adviser to the Copyright Office. Cecil F. Read, prexy of 
AFM Local 47 on the Coast, and not Goldman, made the following 
statement: “We believe that payments of whatever nature belong to 
the performers who actually recorded these performances.” Goldman 
had asked Read for information on the problem of musicians in con¬ 
nection with the recording and broadcasting of their performances. 

The French tune import, “Poor People of Paris,” was composed by 
Marguerite Monnot not Rene Rouzand as erroneously reported in a 
recent issue of Variety. Rouzand wrote the lyrics to the original 
French version tagged “La Goulant du Pauvre Jean.” A new English 
lyric for the tune, already an instrumental click via Les Baxter’s 
Capitol disking, has been written by Jack Lawrence. 


P'AHJETY 

Hit Parade Lineup 

(On March SI NBC-TV Show) 

1. Lisbon Antigua .. Southern 

2. Rock & Roll Waltz.Sheldon 

3. No, Not Much.Beaver 

4. Poor People Paris. Connelly 

5. Moritat .Harms 

6. Hot Diggity.Roncom 

7. Great Pretender.. .Panther 


750G Blaze Destroys 
San Antone Music Bldg. 

San Antonio, April 3. 

Smoke and flames razed the two- 
story building of the San Antonio 
Music Co. here on Thursdaiy night 
(29) causing damages estimated at 
$750,000. 

Most of the loss was covered by 
insurance. The firm is expected 
to reopen soon in another location. 


MUSIC 


Local 802 Turns Down 47 

1 .■ —.--■-■-‘-■-i Continued from page 43 ; 


which neither the N.Y. and L.A. 
locals, the biggest in the AFM, are 
repped on the International Ex¬ 
ecutive Board, could stand some 
correction, Manuti nonetheless 
insisted that Read should have 
brought his grievances to the AFM 
convention, to be held in a couple 
of months. 

The crux of the dispute between 
Read, who was accomped to N.Y. 
by tooters Paul Nero and Alex 
Gershenberg, and Petrillo is wheth¬ 
er the AFM should help build the 
Fund at the expense of direct pay¬ 
ments to the musicians. Local 47 
dissidents havs squawked that fees 
for rescoring old films for video 


have been channelled into the 
Fund rather to the individual 
musicians.. 

Meanwhile, AFM International 
studio representative Phil Fischer 
challenged Read’s figures on the 
amount of money lost by Holly¬ 
wood musicians through AFM ac¬ 
tion last June in channeling $25 
per man scoring fees on old the¬ 
atrical "pix sold to tv to the Music 
Performance Trust Fund instead of 
to individual musicians as had 
been the custom. Read has con¬ 
tended that local musicians have 
lost $1,250,000 since last June as 
a result of the switch, but Fischer 
contended that only $83,000 has 
been paid into the Trust Fund de¬ 
spite the hefty recent sales of pix 
to tv. 


-G'M 
at**? 





THE WEEK 


Barney Yeung Diskery 
Sets Invest-as-You-Buy 
Stock Financing Plan 

Ferris Records, a new disk oper¬ 
ation that is being launched under 
the jukebox industry’s wing, has 
devised a stock ownership plan 
which the more you buy, the more 
you invest. The Ferris company, 
of which Barney Young is prexy, is 
issuing 3,000,000 shares of stock 
at 10c par value for a total capital¬ 
ization of $300,000. For every five 
records ordered by juke operators, 
one share is thrown in cuffo. By 
this route, Ferris would sell 15,- 
000,000 disks before selling out its 
stock issue. 

The Ferris stock setup , will be 
comprised of Class A and Class B 
stock. Class A group, consisting 
of Young and several directors 

Five Big Records 


from the juke industry, will have 
exclusive voting rights. The Class 
B stock, which consists of the^ 
3,000,000 10c shares, is non-voting, 
but both classes will share equally 
in dividends. 

The Ferris stock deal wall be 
offered at the Music Operators, of 
America convention in Chicago 
May 6-8. Young has added Alex¬ 
ander Nicol, formerly with BMI, 
to his Ferris operation as general 
manager and treasurer. 

Young stated that he intends to 
devote half of the recordings on 
the Ferris label to ASCAP and 
BMI tunes. The other half will 
be cleared through the National 
Jukebox organization, a licensing 
outfit set up by Young as a juke 
hedge against the possibility that 
the Copyright Act may be amended 
to permit ASCAP and BMI to 
license jukeboxes. Young has 
given the MOA a 99-year deal to 
use NJB tunes for nothing. 


JONI JAMES 


I WOKE UP 
CRYING 

— AND — 

THE MAVERICK 
QUEEN 

(From REPUBLIC PICTURE) 

MGM 12213 K 12213 





MARIO LANZA R C A v c- 
SLIM WHITMAN ' vp.-.u 1 
DAVID ROSE ,‘A L, v 
MARGARET WHITING 10 ' - 
RAY HEINDORF .... a 


HARMS, Inc. 


Lyric Writer Wanted 

Qualified to write word* to meledie*; 
to collaborate with a melody writer. 

Writ# lex V-329-54 
VARIETY, )54 W. 44 It., New York 34 


“Sideman" by Osborn Duke 
(Criterion; $4.50) should go great 
with the Birdland- and Charlie’s 
Tavern set . . . the fans and ’not 
the musicians. Likewise, the Yales 
and Harvards who dig a beat 
should find the local color stimu¬ 
lating, While the author actually 
was a sideman with Bobby Byrne 
and Sammy Kaye, his idiomatic 
tale of a young trombone player 
who loves his mother and wants 
to be a great composer In the Bar- 
tok manner seems more of a dic¬ 
tionary of bop and modern music 
terms than it does a novel. 

For the spice-hungry there s 
booze - dope -cheap-gal-queer-guy 
stuff galore and a stock bandleader 
who tries to make love to all of his 
gal singers. 



DICK HYMAN 

TRIO 

HI-LILI 

HILO 

— AND — 

JUNGELER0 


Charlie Applewhite 


I COULD HAVE 
DANCED ALL NIGHT 

— AND — 

SHANGRI-LA 

MGM 12220 K 12220 


DAN DAILEY 


FRANKIE 

MID 

JOHNNY 

MGM STUDIO ORCH. JAZZ GROUP 
COND. BY JOHNNY GREEN 


(From MGM Film) 
''Meet Me In Las Vegas" 


MOM 12207 


K 12207 


MGM 12212 


K 12212 


Another BMI •pin Op' Hit 

ROCK ISLAND LINE 

% <n “ °"lY Authentic Version 

Originated by LONNIE DONEGAN 
. Recorded by 

BON M co«2I! l !® AM l " do " ,0,,r DAWN.Dccca 

UN -DUSSUI".u C#ral “ ONEr DUAMMS Camd.il 

Merrill £* rcwy J,MMY g *vin .Epic 

*«KILL MOORE..., Capitol JIMMY WORK.........Dcf 

Published by 
HOLLIS MUSIC, INC, 



iTmTi] 



MGM RECORDS 


,E oOfcATEl.' 


IN en’ESTA'SMENT 




























50 


VAUUKVnXE 


PSriety 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


STOP THE 
INHUMAN 
BOMBINGS 
NOW!! 

The atrocities that occur to 
entertainers o n>^ nightclub 
floors and before t.v. cam¬ 
eras are inhuman and are 
especially unforturfate since 
they are self inflicted. Comics, 
comedians, entertainers, or 
whatever you call yourselves 
... all of you must be out of 
your respective minds to go 
on night after night, .week 
after week, month after 
month, etc., on your mad lit¬ 
tle merry-go-rounds to no¬ 
where. 

Stop!... wasting your nights 
sitting by your television set 
with a borrowed tape recorder 
getting "new" material. 

Stop ! . •. buying mimeographed 
gag sheets for fifty cents a 
page clipped out of 1938 
comic books. The style has 
changed fellows! Superman, 
Frank Buck, and mother-in-law 
jokes "ain't" funny no more. 

Stop ! . . . kidding yourselves. 
You're talent isn't enough! 
You need material . . . fresh, 
original, funny, special mate¬ 
rial ESPECIALLY CREATED 
FOR YOU AND YOU ALONE ! 

SICK ONES. HEALTHY ONES, 
ANALYZED ONES. REUCHIANS, 
FREUDIANS, MARTIANS, LUNA- 
TICS, PEOPLE WHO UNDER- 
STAND THIS AD AND THEM THAT- 
DON'T, ILLITERATES! NOW. 
RIGHT NOW! We have purchased 
(put the down payment on) a giant 
I.B.M. electronic computing ma¬ 
chine. Let us run your whole per¬ 
sonality, fully dressed, thru our 
equipment! The results will be im¬ 
pressive. ’ You will be funny by 
automation! And you will receive 
a piece of material that people 
(not mothers) will laugh at. STOP 
HATING THE STARS! YOU CAN 
MAKE IT, TOO! 


We have recruited our staff of 
writers from men who have suf¬ 
fered and understand. They have 
written for the best 1 and biggest 
. . . both guys. They are guaran¬ 
teed to be 100% shlock proof and 
water resistant, and lose only two 
minutes a week each. They write 
without winding, light up in the 
dark, and can be rented for a very 
low fee. 

PLEASE PHONE OR WRITE FOR 
AN APPOINTMENT . . . LOW 
RATES TO ASPIRING, FRUS¬ 
TRATED FUNNY MILLIONAIRES, 
TIME PAYMENTS ARRANGED, 
FIRST CONSULTATION, NO 
i CHARGE . . . 10% DISCOUNT IF 
YOU BRING THIS AD WITH YOU. 
NO COLLECT CALLS ACCEPTED 
FROM EAST OF THE WEST SIDE 
HIGHWAY OR WEST OF THE 
EAST RIVER DRIVE, NORTH OF 
BAKER FIELD, OR SOUTH OF 
RIYINGTON AND GROVE 
STREETS. 

GROUP THREE 
ASSOCIATES 

1650 Broadway, New York 19 
COlumbus 5-1589 


Dallas Nitery 
Name War Runs 
Healthily On 

Dallas, April 3. 

Nitery name war, launched with 
1 the Statler-Hilton Hotel’s Empire 
| Room opening in January, con- 
j tinues quietly and healthily here, 
j Big competish started when the 
| new hostel showed three acts— 
' Jackie Miles, Nelle Castell and The 
j Hiltonettes (10), and Bob Cross’ 

: orch—for a three-week opener and 
• made money. Fortnightly succes- 
! sors—Jose Greco’s Spanish Danc- 
! ers; Nelson Eddy and Gale Sher¬ 
wood; Los Chavales de Espana, 
with dancer Trim Reyes, and the 
current Carl Ravazza, with the 
Dorothy Kramer Dancers (5)— 
have all pulled good biz. Due are 
Grade Fields, April 5-18; Janis 
Paige, April 19-May 2, and Vaughn 
Monroe, May 3-16, with the Cross 
, crew a holdover. Regular tab is $2, 

! plus tax. 

Baker Hotel, regularly a name 
dropper for its Mural Room, has 
come up with The Gaylords, Hill- 
toppers, Hildegarde, Dorothy La- 
mour, June Valli, Ames Bros, and 
Evelyn Knight since the Statler 
opening. Sophie Tucker is current 
and will be followed by Tito Gui- 
zar, April 9; Marion Marlowe, April 
27, and Julius La Rosa, May 11. 
Cover for Hildegarde and Miss La- 
mour at the Baker was down to 
$2, the Empire Room’s standard 
fee. 

Interesting is the fact that on 
earlier, quondam dates at the 
Adolphus Hotel’s Century Room 
here, both Hildy and Miss Lamour 
were sold at a $3 cover, plus tax. 
(That $1.20 difference per person, 
with tax, can mean a difference in 
patronage.) 

Interim name dates at the 
Adolphus’ Century Room had 
comedian Joe E. Lewis in January 
for pine nights. Lillian Roth opens 
Friday (6), also for nine nights. 
Dorothy Franey’s new icer, “Skate 
and Travel," opened a six-week 
showing March 29. 

Colony Club, midtown upstairs 
cabaret, is staying in the name 
pitch regularly. With^une Christy; 
Day, Dawn & Dusk, and the George 
Shearing Quintet just off the 
boards, owner Abe Weinstein has 
songstress Sylvia Syms due Friday 
(6); The Commodores return April 
27; Penguins due May 7, followed 
by Jeri Southern; Four Voices, 
May 28, and Carmen MacRae in 
June 15. 

Burnette, Darnell Join 
Philly Talent Agency 

Philadelphia, April 3. 

Jolly Joyce Theatrical Agency 
has brought back to its talent 
stable Smiley Burnette and Bill 
Darnell, the latter just returned 
from a European tour. 

Burnette went under Joyce’s di¬ 
rection for a limited tour, with 
five weeks of auto shows in south¬ 
ern territory through April 8. 
From April 9 through July 1, Joyce 
Agency has set Burnette for thea¬ 
tres, auditoriums and outdoor 
amusement parks., 

Darnell has been booked into 
Rainbow Grill, York, Pa., and 
opens March 26, at Chubby’s, West 
Collingswood, N. J. 


' Prof, to Bow His Opera 
At Indiana U. School 

Bloomington, Ind., April 3. 

“Land Between The Rivers,’’ 
. opera composed by Carl G. Van 
Buskirk, associate professor of 
voice at the Indiana Music School, 
will premiere on the campus May 
11-12. Van Buskirk wrote both 
the music and libretto, based on a 
poem, “The Ballad of Billie Potts," 
by Robert Penn Warren. 

At one time, Van Buskirk ap¬ 
peared with the Chicago Civic 
Light Opera. 

Elkort to S. America 

Eddie Elkort, head of American 
operations for Lew & Leslie Grade 
Agency, London, leaves for Rio de 
Janeiro today (Wed.). He’ll visit 
Sao Paulo and Montevideo, too, 

Elkort will set up a series of 
bookings for some of the Conti¬ 
nental headliners handled by the 
!. off ice. . . 


Unit Review 


Maurice C hevalier 

Toronto, March 26. 

Concerts and Artists, Inc. pre- 
ents Maurice Chevalier in two acts 
'of songs and impressions. Fred 
Freed, accompanist., at stage piano; 
orch in pit. At Royal Alexandra 
Theatre, Toronto, March 26, ’56; 
$4 top. 


Following his Oscar awards ap¬ 
pearance from Hollywood on tv, 
Maurice Chevalier is breaking in a 
routine here that will later take 
him to the St. Denis Theatre, 
Montreal, and then the Capitol, 
Quebec City, with a stint in Ha¬ 
vana, Cuba, prior to New York en¬ 
gagement. His new numbers in¬ 
clude "When There’s a Moon" and 
“Rhythm of a New Romance,’’ by 
Sylvia Fine (Mrs. Danny Kaye); 
Cole Porter’s “All of You,” some 
new Chevalier lyrics with music 
by Fred Freed, Borel Clerc and/ 
or Henri Betti; “Un Gentleman,’’ 
lyrics and music by Chevalier; 
mime and sketches, written by the 
latter. ^ 

He remains, as always, a great 
entertainer and Dersonatity, one of 
the few artists that the^cjustomers 
will listen to in solo song or story 
and no. other stage distractions 
necessary to buildup. Chevalier 
also discards the use of a mike. 
Except for the occasional character 
costume change, he wears only a 
dark- suit throughout, plus that 
straw hat or tilted topper. 

Opening night saw the curtain 
ring up at 8:40 and ring down at 
10:30, with a 15-min. intermission, 
so that leaves Chevalier onstage 
for around 90 mins. However, he 
works in lots of diversity and is 
wise enough to walk off leaving his 
audience hungry. 

For an intro, Chevalier leads off 
with a thumbnail autobiography, 
good naturedl.v rues the passage 
of time but indignantly insists that 
though, he sang before the war— 
“not this last one but the one be¬ 
fore it’’—he isn’t 85 yet, despite 
those who knew him when. 

Throughout is the showmanship 
that marks this jaunty artist, this 
mixed in with his impudent grin, 
the laugh in the voice, the grown¬ 
up naughtiness of the boulevardier. 
In his prologs to French songs, he 
outlines beforehand what the 
lyrics are all about; and this, in 
"itself, is a delightful part of the 
act which leaves no room for an¬ 
ticipatory language barrier 'in 
meaning. 

Miss Fine’s “When There’s a 
Moon” is over nicely on ballad 
style; for “Rhythm of a New Ro¬ 
mance” Chevalier contributes a 
neat softshoe, this later in con¬ 
trast to his energetic dancing in 
“French Be-Bop.” • “All of You” 
is also over on nostalgia appeal. 
Novelty bits include his'“In Las 
Vegas,” giving a Frenchman’s im¬ 
pression of an American cowboy, 
done in western outfit; “Un Gen¬ 
tleman,” a Frenchman’s Impression 
of an Englishman, complete with 
derby and rolled umbrella, and the 
way foreigners sound to someone 
who doesn’t speak the language. 
Latter two are standard items. 

But it is the boy-and-girl songs 
in which Chevalier predominantly 
scores, -be these nice or naughty; 
his descriptions of a young lady’s 
physical attributes—without the 
hackneyed elliptical gestures; his 
love songs set in .Paris parks or 
bistros. And, of course, his finale 
log is “Louise,” “Valentina” and 
“Mimi,” in which he has the audi¬ 
ence humming with him. With 
nothing left to top that nostalgic 
trio it's a tip of the hat and a bow- 
off au ’voir from one of the greats. 

McStay. 


Revoke III. Club Drink 
Permit on Clerics’ Beef 

St. Louis, April 3. 

Beefs by three Granite City, Ill., 
ministers against Jack Langer, re¬ 
puted head of the Club Prevue, a 
nitety and gambling casino near 
here last .week, resulted in the 
club’s liquor license being revoked 
by the Illinois Liquor Control 
Commission at Springfield. In an¬ 
nouncing its verdict the Commis¬ 
sion said the license had been is¬ 
sued improperly to Langer, “since 
he is not a puerson of good char¬ 
acter in his community.” 

The Commission also cited the 
finding of gambling equipment at 
the club, apparently referring to a 
raid by state cops last Nov. 1 in 
which they chopped their way Into 
the guarded Corona Room, in the 
same structure, and destroyed dice 
and roulette tables. The club was 
shuttered a week before the Com¬ 
mission's order was announced. It 
is located about 10 miles from JSt. 
Louis and near the Fairmount 
Par* r^ee track- ' - k 


N J. Palisades Park Points to Biggest 
Year; Special Campaign Set (or Kids 


By GEORGE GILBERT 

Aggressive promotion and a 
stepp?d-ut» advertising budget will 
push attendance of Palisades 
Amusement Park this season to 
p0% better than last year's rec¬ 
ord biz. That's the prediction of 
Irving Rosenthal, co-owner of the 
110-acre Fort Lee, N. J., fun em¬ 
porium with brother Jack. 

Rosenthal crystal-balled the up¬ 
coming months as the Park opened 
Saturday (31) for its 59th year— 
one of the earliest preems in its 
history, as tradition calls for the 
unveiling to be held the day before 
Easter. Some 15,000 chilled pa¬ 
trons braved frigid temperatures 
and biting winds for the 1956 in¬ 
augural, but a warm sun and a ris¬ 
ing mercury brought out' 65,000 
Easter Sunday visitors'. 


Mont’s A1 Hodge (Capt. Video) 
CBS’ Paul Tripp, ABC-TV's Henry 
Burbig (“Tinker’s Workshop”) and 
Jane Fisher (“Romper Room”) 
Teenagers aren’t being neglected 
either, for WINS disk jockey Alan 
Freed will be ori • hand April 21 
with a “Rock 'n' Roll” , show and 
WMCA’s Murray Kaufman will 
also p.a. Memorial Day with vari¬ 
ous guests. 

But of all the extensive promo¬ 
tions and tieups, Irving Rosenthal 
is most optimistic of a special dis¬ 
count ticket which entitle? holders 
to “seven big rides and admis¬ 
sion” for 50c. Some 20,000,000 
tix will be distributed to indus¬ 
trial firms, restaurant chains, drug 
stores, etc., he noted, and estimated 
that the take from this source 
alone should pay for maintenance 
of the park. 


With the postwar birth rate at 
an alltime high, the Rosenthal man¬ 
agement is redoubling its efforts to 
tap this market not only in the New 
York metropolitan area but on a 
national basis. Among media be¬ 
ing used to reach the moppets is 
National comic books with total 
nationwide circulation of 50,000,000. 

Half-page ad in each National 
comic publication has Superman 
inviting youthful readers to be his 
guest at Palisades Park via use of 
an accompanying coupon, good for 
free admission Mondays and Fri¬ 
days. Also tied into the overall 
emphasis on the juvenile patron is 
the park’s reliance upon radio-tv 
names known to the kids. 

Opening day was “Superman 
Day” with Jack Larson, the Cub 
Reporter on the Superman NBC- 
TV show, making a matinee p.a. 
Moreover, a different “kid person¬ 
ality” will be spotlighted every 
Saturday, publicist Bert Nevins 
pointed out. Organization, bearing 
his name, is responsible for virtual¬ 
ly all of the stunjs and razzle-dazzle 
designed to lure payees through¬ 
out the season. 

Already lined up for Saturday 
p.a.'s are such kidstars as Du-1 


fresh paint and lighting, boasts 
two new rides this season among 
the 150 attractions. They’re “The 
Round-Up” and “The Scrambler.” 
Also new is' “Hollywood in Minia¬ 
ture,” an exhibit of stills, sets 
and early motion picture mementos. 

Preem’s free show at the open- 
air arena had Henry Peters & His 
Dixieland Band beating out such 
standards as “That’s a Plenty.” 
While this was hot music, it wasn’t 
warm enough for the musikers who 
fortified themselves against the ele¬ 
ments with overcoats, mufflers and 
the like. Of a hardier nature was 
Sevina, “Marvel of . the Clouds," 
who cavorted on the high wire clad 
only in tights and bra. 


WHEN IN BOSTON 

If* the 

HOTEL AVERY 

The Home of Show Folk 
Avery & Washington Sts. . 
Radio in Evory Room 


We are so very grateful! 

To all tha wonderful people that helped make our recent en¬ 
gagement at the COTILLION ROOM, our most successful . . . 

We are especially grateful to: 

STANLEY MELBA... for giving ns our contract to return 
next season at AN INCREASED SALARY ... 

and 

FOR THE FOLLOWING COMMENTS WE WILL ALWAYS Bl 
DEEFLY INDEBTED TO THE FOLLOWING MOST GRACIOUS 
MEMBERS OF THE PRESS 


Abel, Variety — EIGHT TIME WIN¬ 
NERS at the Cotillion Room, they 
are more amaxing & amusing 
than ever . . . etc. 

WALTER WINCHELL — ORCHIDS 
TO: LUCILLE It EDDIE back at 
Hie Cotillion. 

DOROTHY KILGALLEN—The Rob- 
arts are WOWING the custom¬ 
ers jd the Pierre, more amaxing 
than. over. 

LOUIS SOBOL —THEY ARE THE 
TOPS among the mindreaders. 

LEI MORTIMER — My favorite 
"Mentalists; not only the best In 


show business but they are head¬ 
liners anywhere. 

FRANK FARRELL—The Roberts are 
hotter than "Bridey Murphy" 
and "The Groat Sebastians." 

GENE ORLIN —THE BEST SHOW 
IN TOWN. 

DICK KLEINER — ONE OP THE 
MOST ENGAGING TEAMS IN 
SHOW BUSINESS. 

MARTIN BURDEN—JUST A WON¬ 
DERFUL ACT. 

ROBERT W. DANA — WINNERS 
FROM THE START, as they al¬ 
ways are at the Cotillion Room. 


and to: 

DANTON WALKER, for devoHng your entire column to us on March 18th. 
To 

JIM O’CONNOR; well what can wo say? 

Lucille and Eddie ROBERTS 


THE RADISSON HOTIL 
Minneapolis 
THE. MARES HOTEL 

Rene 

THE STATLER HOTEL 
Los Aneeles 


-Future Engagements Include:- 


Othors Pendlnt Available Time 


THE CHI CHI 
Palm Sprints 
THE ROOSEVELT HOTEL 
New Orleans 
THE COLONY 
Lendon 


Publicity: FRANCES E. KAYE A CO. 


Direction: MCA 



Currant ABC-Par Rocord Hit 

-LITTLE CHILD” 

CAB CALLOWAY 

HOW 

GATINEAU COUNTRY CLUB 

9UIMC, CANADA 

W. MU MITTUR, Ulf Mnr, Nn T«*. 










Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


PfiRIEff 


VAUDEVHXJB 


51 


Delay Decision on Circus Picketing; 
AGVA Plans All-Out Fight Vs. Ringlmg 


Determination whether the N. Y. 
Supreme Court would rescind its 
tempoary ban on the picketing of 
Singling Bros, and Barnum & 
Bailey Circus was delayed until 
today (Wed.) with a hearing slated 
by Justice Aron Steuer for 10 a.m. 
today. Two orders had already 
been signed. 

On Monday (2) Justice Thomas 
A. Aurelio signed a temporary in¬ 
junction banning pickets until the 
hearing yesterday (Tues.), and 
when order had been seemingly ig¬ 
nored by pickets from the Ameri¬ 
can Guild of Variety Artists and 
the International Brotherhood of 
Teamsters, .Justice Steuer signed 
another injunction banning pickets 
for three hours starting at noon 
yesterday. 

At the hearing Justice Steuer 
seeking to determine why previ¬ 
ous injunction was ignored, 
queried AGVA counsel Harold F. 
Berg, who informed the jurist that 
the unions had not been served 
and therefore commenced picket¬ 
ing at midnight Monday. During 
the three-hour stay the tanbark 
was delivered, and the circus was 
in position to go on for the prevue 
which was slated to be televised 
last night over CBS-TV. At press¬ 
time Don Conaway of the Ameri¬ 
can Federation of Radio & Tele¬ 
vision-Artists had been diicklng a 
question of whether they would 
permit their members td appear be¬ 
fore the cameras despite support 
by the Four A’s of the AGVA 
strike against the circus. AGVA 
had beeji aiming particularly at 
stopping the telecast because the 
show would give the circus an ad¬ 
ditional $100,000 war chest to with¬ 
stand AGVA demands. 

Bright’s Plan 

Jackie Bright of the American 
Guild of Variety Artists has put 
into effect a plan that would hit 
the circus wherever it pitches its 
tent. AGVA reps had been called 
in from various cities to work on 
an all-out effort to sign the circus. 

AGVA was also working on the 
forbidding celebs to take part in 

. (ContinuecUon page 52) 


Hub Booker Sees Cafe 
Salvation in Promotion 
Of More Convention Biz 

Boston, April 3. 

E. M. Jacobs, Boston club, con¬ 
vention and industrial booker, 
says convention booking is the 
answer to the waning nitery and 
cafe booking biz hereabouts. Ja¬ 
cobs predicts the Hub will get 50% 
more conventions this season than 
last and points out that more na¬ 
tional conventions are skedded this 
year than any year for the past 10. 

Jacobs, formerly with the Keith 
office in Boston and New York, 
contends that Boston could handle 
even more conventions if there 
were bigger spots to hold them. 
Boston had 375 conventions last 
year, according to the Chamber 
of Commerce, and $25,000,000 was 
spent by the conventioneers. 

The veteran booker has some 
de.inite ideas on convention book¬ 
ing. 

"Names are not important at 
conventions,” he said. “They just 
want good flash acts, singers, 
dance acts, aero acts — family en¬ 
tertainment.” He pointed out, 
however, that names are good for 
expositions. Convention booking 
funs from $i 50 U p to $5,000, he 
said. “Most conventioneers don’t 
Know a good act from a bad one, 
however,” he maintains. “This 
makes convention booking differ- 

Conventions are the last strong- 
noid of vaude a.cts, he maintains 
^ ach convention should be 
good for 5 or 10 vaude acts. 


D »Ua* Club’s 20G Fii 

Dallas, April \ 
Patrons, dancers ; 

wS. Ci f ns . fled to safet y as fire : 

*f* k . destroyed Nita’s Place, 1< 
a s P ot - No one was inju) 
dnS°f ted $ 4 * 000 in cash was 
the h e a° a boxfu11 of cinders 

min!2 Se ^ f tbe fire was not de 

3 nom™ ner * esUm * w the: 


4-- 

Walters Setup Expands 
Industrial Show Dept. 

Lou Walters Enterprises, headed 
by Cass Franklin, is expanding the 
industrial show department. They 
have taken on Frank S. Greenfield 
and Dick Pierce, both formerly 
with the William Morris Agency, 
and Ray Evans, who had been do¬ 
ing publicity. Firm will stage a 
revue for Colgate Palmolive Co. 
May 8 in Cleveland. 

Walters Enterprises is a booking 
and personal management firm op¬ 
erated independently of the Latin 
Quarter, N. Y., also owned by Wal¬ 
ters. 


Chi AGVA Gets 
Club Date Code 
For Approval 

Chicago, April 3. 

In the wake of the recently- 
settled dispute between the En¬ 
tertainment Managers Assn, of 
Chicago and the American Guild 
of Variety Artists, AGVA midwest 
regional director Ernie Fast is sub¬ 
mitting a local club date code for 
approval by the Chicago local’s 
board of directors. 

The code, essentially drawn from 
AGVA’s national code of fair prac¬ 
tice regulating club dates, sets 
minimum scale prices for club 
dates in the Chicago area ranging 
from $25 for a single up to $80 
for four persons, with an addition¬ 
al $15 to be paid for each person 
over four. It also adds surcharge 
rates of from $5 to $10 per person 
for dates' played up to 200 miles 
outside the city limits and provides 
for transportation, food and lodg¬ 
ing expense payments wherever 
applicable. 

The code further seeks to rem¬ 
edy two local deficiencies long a 
sore spot with the union and with 
performers here. Any act working 
without an AGVA-approved con¬ 
tract or any agent who fails to 
issue a contract would be fined $50 
under terms of the proposed code, 
and any delay in paying acts would 
result in $5 a day being added to 
the entertainer’s salary for each 
day of waiting time after the day 
following the engagement. Both 
provisions are expected to meet 
with strong local opposition. 

The Gbi AGVA office has recent¬ 
ly begun to sign up south side 
spots using live entertainment. So 
far, Birdland, the Crown-Propeller 
and the Stage Lounge have signed 
AGVA’s basic minimum agreement, 
agreed to pay contributions to the 
welfare fund, and posted bonds for 
entertainers’ salaries. 

All-Brit. Palladium Bill 
Socko; Cues New Policy 

London, April 3. 

Val Parnell’s experiment of run¬ 
ning an all-British bill at the Lon¬ 
don Palladium for two weeks has 
proved a bonanza. Bill comprised 
English radio, disc and tv names, 
including Winifred Atwell, Bernard 
Bros., Alma Cogan, Petula Clark 
and David Whitfield. It pulled ca¬ 
pacity houses at every perform¬ 
ance, with stubs being sold outside 
the theatre at twice and three times 
their value. First week topped $36,- 
000, with advance bookings for the 
next week topping that figure. This 
is a record for the house since the 
vaude policy was instigated here 
some years ago, with Danny Kaye 
the only exception. 

Parnell is noyv seriously consid¬ 
ering running such a bill for the 
vaude session next year for a min¬ 
imum of six weeks, which will give 
him plenty leisure to line up one or 
two American tops to complete the 
entire vaude period, which is again 
likely to be three to four months. 
Should Parnell settle the Kaye re¬ 
turn next year, which he is at pres¬ 
ent negotiating, the chances are 
that the English bill and the Danny 
Kaye - booking will suffice for the 
eptirp gesh. • .. ■ 


Aussie Vaude Girds for TV Threat, 
Tivoli Controls Major Tele Outlet; 
Martin Buying Up Talent in Chicago 

-f By GABE FAVOINO 


Acts Set for 24th Annual 
Hartford Shrine Circus 

Hartford, April 3. 

The 24th annual Shrine Circus 
here takes its annual stand at the 
State Armory for a full week, 
starting April 23. Acts pencilled 
in are Capt. Eddy Kuhn, The Tuck¬ 
ers, Cole’s Elephants, Dieter Tas¬ 
so, Triska 'Troupe, The Arrigonis, 
Hawthorne’s Bears, Craig’s Chim¬ 
panzees and Flying Victors. 

The circus is sponsored annual¬ 
ly by the Sphinx Temple for char¬ 
ity and other Shriner activities. 


New Format For 
Hub Blinstrub s 

Boston, April 3. 

New format for Blinstrub’s 1,700- 
seater was detailed here this week 
by owner Stanley ffllinstrub on his 
return from Manhattan, where he 
signed talent. 

June Taylor will stage the shows 
next season. Dancers, a singing 
chorus, scenery and props will be 
put in with a new $20,000 lighting 
system. A second stage is to be 
built over the orchestra, thq club 
will be widened and a new lobby 
will be built extending all the way 
across the front with new canopied 
entrances. In addition, a parking 
lot will be built. The June Taylor 
line will be paid premium wages, 
and will not be allowed to mix 
with the customers. 

Lavish productions will be the 
new format, Blinstrub said. His 
policy of big names will still con¬ 
tinue. Present policy is a four-act 
vaude bill, plus headline name. The 
four acts hold over for two weeks, 
while the headliner changes each 
week. 

Names finishing out the balance 
of this season include • Frankie 
Laine, Nat (King) Cole, Gisele 
MacKenzie and McGuire Sisters, 
who open Monday (9). Dennis Day 
comes in for one night, Sunday 
(8), for the $100-a-plate dinner for 
Archbishop Cushing’s charities. 

Brisson Prepping His 
Memoirs; Working On 
Brit TV Showcasing 

If Rocky Graziano, who has done 
well in the literary fields with 
“Somebody Up There Likes Me,” 
could do it, why not Carl Brisson? 
Danish singer is also working on 
an autobiography. He’s a former 
middleweight champion of Europe 
as well as a supper’ club singer, and 
is holder of the Order of the 
Swedish Cross and a Knight of 
Denmark. 

However, Brisson feels that he 
isn’t quite ready to publish his 
memoirs, since he’s still got a* lot 
to do. He returned last week from 
a nine-month stay in Europe, and 
would like to get a'tele show set. 
He’s currently working on a British 
video showcasing for the fall. 

While abroad, he visited in his 
native Copenhagen, from which 
he's been absent since 1952. A 
statue of him was unveiled at a 
youth centre in Visterbro, the 
Boys Club of Copenhagen. Cur¬ 
rently, Brisson is set to play the 
Radisson Hotel, Minneapolis, April 
26, with other dates still to be 
lined up. 

‘Waters’ Show Signed For 
Coliseum Auto Opener 

“Dancing Waters” has been 
signed for the International Auto 
Show, which opens the newly-con¬ 
structed N. Y. Coliseum, April 28 
until May 6. 

Fountain display will be pre- 
vued at a special benefit for the 
March of Dimes, April 27, during 
which time opening ceremonies 
will take place. 


FIRST STAGE SHOW SINCE '49 


Albany House Gives Two-Day 
Bookings To Rock-a-Rama 


Albany, April 3. 

Stanley Warner Strand, for the 
first time since 1949, will feature 
a stage show, “Rock-a-Rama f ” Wed¬ 
nesday and Thursday (4-5). Head¬ 
liners are The Three Chuckles and 
The Penguins, both recording 
groups. Others appearing will be 
Eddie Fontaine, Shirley Gunter, 
Arnold Dover and The Blockbust¬ 
ers. 

Troupe will do four shows a day. 


Steve Yates Joins Up 

With Ingalls Agency 

Steve Yates, for several years an 
[indie agent, has joined the Miles 
Ingalls Agency. Yates is the son 
of the late Charles V. Yates. 

Yates will replace Joe Flaum, 
who had been with Ingalls for 
many years, and who recently left 
to go on his own. Yates office had 
been booking the Bob Hope the¬ 
atre and fair tours, and the “Grand 
Ole Opry” units. 


D.C. Show Biz Reps 
Spearhead Cherry 
Blossom Festival 

Washington, April 3. 

Show biz reps are spearheading 
the Capital’s annual Cherry Blos¬ 
som Festival', which stepped into 
high gear today (Tues.) with open¬ 
ing ceremonies. Conceived as a 
Washington version of New Or¬ 
leans Mardi Gras, Festival gath¬ 
ered steam and acquired stature 
in recent years as a major tourist 
lure. This year, for the fifth con¬ 
secutive time, Loew’s Theatres’ 
eastern division manager Orville 
Crouch is general chairman for the 
six-day celebration. 

Although featuring local talent 
and top Government names, pro¬ 
fessional show biz figures are do¬ 
nating their services to whip the 
series of events, winding up with 
weekend’s Cherry Blossom Pageant, 
into professional polish. Longtime 
producer of shows at Loew’s Capi¬ 
tol, Joel Margolis is in charge of 
production for the show, staged 
outdoors around the town’s famed 
Tidal Basin Saturday and Sunday. 
Morton Downey, perennial attrac¬ 
tion for the pageant, will again be 
on hand as principal vocalist. 

ABC commentator Bryson Rash 
emceed today’s (3) opening cere¬ 
monies, and will join forces with 
WRC-NBC’s Patty Cavin to narrate 
Wednesday’s Festival Fashion 
Show. WTOP-CBS d.j. Eddie Gal- 
laher is skedded to emcee the Fes¬ 
tival, and virtually every radio-tv 
personality in town will participate 
in some phase of the celebration. 

Despite competition of the line¬ 
up of events, show biz generally 
benefits by the influx of 250,000 
tourists expected to view the 
famed blossoms and events sur¬ 
rounding their annual debut. 


Vaude Team to Lecture 
At Hub Distaff School 

Boston, April 3. 

In the first show biz course in 
, the history of distaff Endicott 
Junior College in Beverly, the 
Baker Sisters, vaude and nitery act 
who have appeared at the Bradford 
Roof here, will lecture and demon¬ 
strate how an act is put together, 
with illustrations in song ana 
dance, at an liour-long college as¬ 
sembly on April 26. „ 

Milton Jaffee, who teaches a 
course in radio and tv, invited the 
nitery act to lecture at the col¬ 
lege. He said the two sisters will 
also give the students the low- 
down on how records are cut and 
exploited. Preceding the Baker 
Sisters’ lecture, Jaffee said, he has 
invited Ruthie Shapiro, Hub plat¬ 
ter rep for Joni James, Frankie 
Laine and Eileen Rodgers, to lec¬ 
ture on record promotion^ at the 
college, April 16. 


CANADA BALKS 'OPRY' 

Regina, Sask., April 3. 

A playoff 'hockey game and 
snowblocked rural roads cut into 
attendance at a “Grand Ole Opry” 
show in Darke Hall here. Unit 
drew about 1,000 customers for a 
two-performance gross of $1,438. 

Unit included Faron Young, 
Mitchell Torok, Arlie Duff, Ray 
Price, Justin Tubb and Jimmy & 
Johnny. 


Chicago, April 3. 
David Martin, managing director 
of Australia’s 15-minute Tivoli cir¬ 
cuit, sees the coming of television 
to Australia this fall as no imme¬ 
diate threat to what, has become, 
with London, vaudeville’s last 
stand in the English-speaking world. 
Aussie video bows in October with 
three channels each in Sydney and 
Melbourne. One of the three in 
each city will be government- 
operated, a la BBC, and the other 
two will be commercial stations. 

Martin anticipates that there 
will be 10,000 sets in operation 
Down Under at the end of the first 
year of telecasting. Forecasting a 
top of 500,000 sets in use at the 
end of 10 years, Martin sees 
American-made tv films as the 
strongest threat vaudeville has to 
face. (The Liberace film series, 
for example, will bow in Aussie- 
land with video’s debut.) Martin . 
sees the Aussie talent and musi¬ 
cians unions and, naturally, inter¬ 
ested vaudeville parties taking a 
“cultural stand” against “complete 
Americanization of Australian tele¬ 
vision,” as he puts it. 

The Tivoli management has seen 
to it that it has several aces-in-the- 
hole, however, to meet the teevee 
competition. One is entry into 
video with a subsidiary called 
Television, Inc., which owns one of 
the two Sydney commercial chan¬ 
nels, and another is their control 
over variety acts that play the cir¬ 
cuit. Thq Tivoli management sees 
video developing as a threat to 
live vaude in about five years; tney 
are determined to fight it when it 
does develop. Until then they have 
taken steps to protect themselves 
and are watchfully waiting. 

Fact that the Tivoli circuit con¬ 
trols a major tele outlet and that 
Aussie television, for economic 
reasons, will never match Ameri¬ 
can saturation, arms the Tivoli 
management with strong weapons. 
They should be able to compete 
with television on more equal 
terms than would be possible in 
America, Martin thinks. 

Three Variety Revues 
Martin was in Chicago last week 
to buy talent for three variety re¬ 
vues which will tour the Tivoli 
circuit this summer. Biggest pro¬ 
duction will be the show, “Paris 
(Continued on page 53) 

Lesser Examined Before 
Trial in His 300G Pact 
Breach Suit Vs. Chevalier 

Examination before trial of Ar¬ 
thur Lesser took place Monday ( 2 ) 
in New York in his $300,000 breach 
of contract suit against Maurice 
Chevalier. Lesser produced Che¬ 
valier’s first one-man show in.the 
U. S., but singer took his business 
elsewhere during his recent jaunt 
in the U. S., on which he did an¬ 
other one-man show and had sev¬ 
eral nitery bookings, including the 
Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y., and Dunes 
Hotel, Las Vegas. Chevalier testi¬ 
fied before, trial a few weeks back. 

Lesser, who is now managing 
Patachou, left with his charge yes- ' 
terday (Tues.) for Mexico City, 
where singer will appear at the ' 
Versailles. Both are due back in 
London later, where Lesser is 
slated to produce a revue still un¬ 
titled, to be presented by Jack Hyl¬ 
ton and costarring Patachou and 
Tommy Trinder. Nat Hiken, top 
writer of the Phil Silvers tv show, 
will be one of the scripters for 
the Lesser show. 

Chevalier Fair $11,000 
For Toronto Holy Week 

Toronto, April 3. 
With Holy Week hurting the 
French-speaking customer draw, 
and the Jewish observance also 
denting, Maurice Chevalier’s one- 
man show did a fair $11,000 at the 
Royal Alexandra Theatre here, 
with the 1,525-seater scaled at $4 
top for six performances. Good 
Friday matinee was so-so. 

Chevalier is current at the St. 
Denis, Montreal, thence to the 
Capital, Quebec City, followed by 
an engagement in Havana, Cuba, 


VAlWnXB 


New Acts 


LILO (5) 

Songs 
37 Mins. 

Pierre Motel, N. Y. 

Lilo. the singularly-labeled lead 
In the recent Cole Porter legit mu¬ 
sical, “Can-Can," has latterly gone 
on a nitery and hotel foray which 
took her into a number of major 
cities. However, for- the bigtime 
debut at the Cotillion Room of the 
Pierre, the blonde comedienne has 
prepared in a tres expensive man¬ 
ner. 

Charles O’Curran produced her 
act and seemingly has done right 
by the French import. He has de¬ 
vised a routine that, with only a 
few revisions, will be a highly 
saleable product for the haute 
monde rooms. The new turn be¬ 
speaks class, provides an excellent 
peg to create a feeling of versa¬ 
tility and has good production to 
surround Lilo's throaty offerings. 

Lilo’s magnum opus is still the 
French manner. But during a 
New York season that has been 
heavy with French chantooseys, 
problem is to get some point of dif¬ 
ferentiation. Her routining gets 
around that with an accent on ma¬ 
terial en Anglais. With the excep¬ 
tion of two weakies, the material 
holds interest and nets applause. 

The strong points in her reper¬ 
toire are renditions of “I’m The 
Girl" with a music-box gimmick, 
a French medley that sets her off 
to a strong mitting, the reprises 
from “Can-Can" including “Mag- 
nifique" and “Paris,” and a char¬ 
acter number. One of ’her items, 
describing a sailor in Paris, seems 
overproduced and could be cur¬ 
tailed for better effect. The news¬ 
boy item also has too much pro¬ 
duction which seems to detract 
from the general design of her act. 

However, the rest of the turn 
commands attention. Of course, 
it’s still a new method of opera¬ 
tion for Lilo, but onc e she lives a 

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GIANT CLASSIFIED ENCYCLOPEDIA 

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No C.O.D.'s 

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little longer with the act, and im¬ 
parts more of her own mannerisms 
and more of her personality she 
should be a regular on the class 
circuits. 

Lilo is backgrounded by two 
singing couples which gives a rich 
lustre to her vocals. Coutourier- 
ing in a w'hite gown, with changes 
of costume for various numbers, 
adds to the variety of the act. 

Jose. 

\ FRANK LYNN 
Song-Dance 
25 Mins. 

Sans Souci, Miami Beach 

As currently constituted, Frank 
Lynn’s act is obviously tailored for 
the chichi intimeries. An engaging 
young Ivy League type, complete 
to “natural” look in suiting and 
demeanor, he presents a carefully 
staged group of mostly song-some 
danee concepts which stress a 
fresh, variety personality. It’s also 
obvious that there’s been heavy 
expenditure on arrangements and 
direction, the material put on dis¬ 
play reflecting the polishing and 
extraction of an inherent charm. 
Originals are included in some 
straight blues; extract from Brod- 
way musicomedy and a breezy rou¬ 
tine featuring down-the-years to 
the speakeasy era, to jukebox 
musical rundown are light and 
pleasant to take. The dance seg¬ 
ment is woven into the latter pat- 

6 Lynn needs a broader boatload 
of ideas to make the more com¬ 
mercial clubs. As is he's a good bet 
for the Blue Angel-Le Reuban 
Bleu route as well as a prospect 
for revues and/or musicomedy. 

Lary. 


JEAN JANESS 
Acrobatic 
15 Mins. 

Steuben’s, Boston 

A sprightly 4 ft. 8 blonde, per¬ 
fectly proportioned and a looker, 
Jean Janess displays some nicely 
paced aero work using table and 
chair props for stands, twists and 
splits. Gold bra and pants costume 
with sequins sets off her natural 
attributes nicely. Openng with 
flips she does a brick building rou¬ 
tine’on table, bounces off for se¬ 
ries of tossovers and split on two 
chairs. She does twists and stands 
on a prop pole mounted on the 
table and back somersaults off for 
bow. For clincher, distaffer builds 
four chairs and balances precari¬ 
ously with head nearly scraping 
ceiling. Series of flips across stage 
gets her off. 

Looks to be high-rated flash 
opener for niteries and slick sight 
1 act for tv and vaude. Guy. 


yS&IETY 


BETTY LUSTER 
Dance 
10 Mins. 

Palace, N. Y, 

Betty Luster is a vet in the tele 
orbit, but hasn’t appeared in 
vaude previously. Miss Luster is 
a well-built looker and an expert 
ballerina, who is also skilled in 
other dance forms. Opener is a 
tasty bit of toe terping, after 
which she doffs the tutu and does 
a bit of jazz ballet which gets off 
quite well. 

Her magnum opus, however, is 
an interpretive bit to de Falla’s 
“Ritual Fire Dance," in which she 
makes vivid use of this dramatic 
bit of music. The toreador cape 
I provides an added bit of color as 
well as a bit of continuity for this 
bit. Offs strongly. Jose. 


VICKY AUTIER 
Songs 
35 Mins. 

Viennese Lantern, N. Y. 

Vicky Autier is a new face in 
these environs, having been im¬ 
ported from France and who has 
impressed sufficiently to nab a 
booking at the Roxy, N. Y., dur¬ 
ing which time she’ll be doubling. 
Miss Autier is a strong Gallic sin t r » 
er who can evoke a number of 
moods, and like many French 
chantooseys has strong staying 
powers. She does a half-hour plus 
with a series of tunes that in¬ 
cludes a strong sprinkling in her 
native tongue. Others are inter¬ 
laced with English translations 
and stilf others are on the Hispanic 
side. She does a turn that’s well 
appreciated in this part of town. 

Miss Autier has an easy and 
fluid manner that makes for pleas¬ 
ant listening. She. makes a good 
appearance on the floor. At times, 
she accompanies herself on the 
piano, but generally most of her 
woi'k centers around a lapel mike 
that takes her all over the floor. 

Miss Autier can get in the ma¬ 
jority of cafe situations as well as 
allied fields. Jose. 


BARON BUIKA 
Violin Novelty 
25 Mins. 

Steuben’s, Boston 

Although in the U. S. from 
Berne, for a year and a half with 
his European type violin novelty 
act, Baron Buika has missed new 
act cataloging on this side of the 
ocean. He’s an impressive looking 
personality in formal attire, w.k. 
on the Continent and England with 
a record as a concert violinist and 
at one time headed a 28-piece ork. 
He bows on with his own arrange¬ 
ment of “The Eternal Melodies," 
strains from w.k. musical composi¬ 
tions, showcasing his concert back¬ 
ground. 

Swiss violin virtuoso plays a 


medley of Yank tunes in his 
"American Fantasy," including 
"God Bless America," “Davy 
Crockett," “Swanee," “St. Louis 
Blues.” He loosens the bow strings 
in a big arc for “Hot Canary," then 
goes into some slick patter before 
cutting all the strings on the violin 
except one, on which he renders 
“Sorrento." Windup is “Chardas" 
in a series of impossible looking 
positions and for an added fillip, 
Buika plays two violins at once. 

Buika is an assured craftsman 
on the violin and has succeeded in 
welding concert artistry to nitery 
format through sight gimmicks in 
his handling of the instrument. A 
class act for class rooms, tv and 
club dates. Guy. 


CiM orocco Cafe J^td. 


1445 CIOSSI ST. • MONTRIA1 


March 27, 1956. 

Mr. Senia Gamsa, 

36 Central Park South, 

New York, N.Y. 

Dear Senia 

At the risk of having you raise the ante 
on his services, thought I would drop you a line to let 
you know how pleased we have been with the performance 
of Lou Seiler . He is, without a doubt, the best Comedian 
to ever work our room, and the only one to be held over, 
for three weeks. 

* Those well known New York Irishmen should 

be grabbing him for their T.V. shows, as he is head and 
shoulders over most comedians I have known. His comedy, 
dancing and mugging have endeared him to Montrealers, and 
I am interested in a return engagement on the same terms, 
for sometime in November. Please contact me. 


JACQUELINE JAMES 

Songs 

30 Mins. 

Club One-Two, Toronto 

Jacqueline James, tall and eye¬ 
filling blonde, who recently com¬ 
pleted some 18 months in the Lon¬ 
don production of “Guys and 
Dolls” in the Adelaide role, is cur¬ 
rently breaking in her first North 
American night club routine. In 
black sequin evening gown, Miss 
James opens with a lusty “Hostess 
With the Mostest” with which she 
was identified two seasons.ago in 
theatre-in-the-round productions of 
“Call Me Madam.” For high, low 
and sexy delivery, she instantly 
scored with the nitery customers 
here, and then into two ballads— 
“Lost in the Stars” and “Stay 
Well, My Love”—for a neat three- 
octave range from F to F that was 
hefty on. high-note holding and 
echo effects, plus alternate drop¬ 
ping to a full, rich voice. 

Miss James bears an uncanny 
resemblance to the late Jean Har¬ 
low., which strangely has hurt her 
in three B-films in Hollywood. 
She’s a well-stacked, long-stemmed 
songstress who just lets that big 
voice go for diversified delivery, 
all marked by training and a so¬ 
phisticated style that also has 
plenty of musicomedy values in 
the comedienne classification, 
though she can also turn on the 
unrequited love pathos when it’s 
called for. Miss James has lots of 
talent and physical appearance, as 
evidenced in her former and pres¬ 
ent top singing and acting chores. 

McStay. 

EDDIE ASH 
Acro-Juggling 
10 Mins. 

Empire, Glasgow 

Australian juggler combines dex¬ 
terity with trapeze balancing, link¬ 
ing the two in a worthwhile act 
that has potential for most loca¬ 
tions. 

Opens with standard club-toss¬ 
ing, the clubs being brought on¬ 
stage by a whitefaced femme 
stooge in awkward schoolgirl make¬ 
up and costuming. This is amus¬ 
ing switch from normal smart- 
assistant type, and leads to nov¬ 
elty. Segues with mbre plate, 
hoops-on-feet and club tossing. 

Juggler then blows a whistle, 
and a minitricycle is lowered from 
flies. Cycles, astride this while bal¬ 
anced upside down on head, with 
gimmick that this is how Austral¬ 
ians cycle “down under.” More 
mitting for clever hand-walking. 
In trapeze routine, he drinks from 
champagne glass while balanced 
upside down with head on’trapeze. 

Act has asset of being “differ¬ 
ent” and provides strong enter¬ 
tainment quota with novelty twists. 
Okay for vaude and video. Gord. 


■Wednesday, April -4, 1956 


NUK 
Clown 
15 Mins. 

L’Olympia, Paris 

Nuk uses the wistful appearances 
of the classic clowns with outsize 
garments and painted „face and 
floppy shoes. He then goes through 
an original bit of pulling all sorts 
of musical instruments from his 
outsize coat. General fey under¬ 
linings of his musical know-how 
and poetically guised shafts as 
well as clever comic, invention, 
make him an offbeat clown worth 
U.S. attention. 

Violins, saxophones and clarinets 
come out of his pockets and at one 
instance a rubber glove begins to 
inflate from his clarinet. He milks 
it before finding accordions, etc., 
in his Rockets. Mosk. 


Circus 


Continued from page 51 - 7 

the gala preem tdnight (Wed.) for 
the benefit of the Police Athletic 
League. Bright promised the po¬ 
lice organization that he would see 
to it that the union obtained per¬ 
formers and got all expenses paid 
for a subsequent benefit. Theatre 
Authority hadn’t cleared the gala 
and various performers were be¬ 
ing notified not to appear. All 
agencies were also being con¬ 
tacted. 

Meanwhile, AGVA attorney had 
filed charges against the circus 
with the N. Y.- State Labor Rela¬ 
tions Board . charging prexy John 
Ringling North with refusal to 
bargain in- good faith and with in¬ 
timidation and coercion of per¬ 
formers in preventing them from 
joining union of their choosing. 

Art Students League wilf hold 
its annual costume ball at the 
Hotel Roosevelt, N. Y., April 27. 
Theme of the regalia will be Shake¬ 
spearean representations, with pro¬ 
ceeds going to the League’s build¬ 
ing fund. 


I take this occasion to express my 
gratitude for the continuing confi¬ 
dence placed in me by my cus¬ 
tomers and friends in show business. 

JESSE BLOCK 

Registered Representative 
IRA HAUPT & CO. 

Investment Brokers 

501 7th Ave., New York 18. N. Y. 
LOongacre 5-6262 


SENSATIONAL COMEDY OFFER 

Over 1000 "Clever Remarks" 
Only $1,001 List Free. 

Send your order nowl 
Edward Orrin, 5854 San Vicente Blvd. 
Los Angeles 19, Calif. * 


h SOCIAL DIRECTOR) 
i • DANCE TEAM \ 
• SINGER I 

) WANTED FOR LARGE RESORT ] 
[Box EW, 45.E. 17th St., New York 3fl 



With best regards, I remain. 
Yours truly, 


r. Van de North 


CONCERTS • FILMS • TV • CLUBS • CONVENTIONS 

THE ANGELAIRES 

HOWARD LANIN MANAGEMENT 

113 W. S7lk Strut N.w York JUdio. 4-3041 


EASTER WEEK 

SIBYL BOWAN 

MARLBORO BLENHEIM «nd HADDON HALL. Atlantic City. N. J. 













Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


PftttlETY 


VAUDEVILLE 


53 


Aussie Vaude Girds 


S Continued from page 51 


T p Soil' ” set to open for the Olym- 
ifc games this year; the other two 
will start touring in February and 
Say of 1957. With a $4,500 bud¬ 
get per show, Martin is buying 
rlose to $300,000 worth of talent 
J or the three revues on a trip 
which includes stops in Los An¬ 
gles San Francisco, Mexico City, 
Las'Vegas, Chicago, New York, 
Paris and Barcelona. 

He generally gets acts for less 
than their stateside price, offering 
a minimum of 20 weeks work out 
0 f 26 with options that may ex¬ 
tend the run as long as two years. 
The long runs are possible because 
Martin generally has four revues 
eoing at once, one each in Sydney 
and Melbourne, one touring Aus¬ 
tralia and one touring New Zea¬ 
land. Turns are generally anxious 
to go with Martin because of the 
steady work Down Under and the 
lower living costs there. And 
there is always the .possibility that 
they will come back with a better 
act because of the chance of ex¬ 
perimenting with material that is 
no longer available'stateside. 

Another reason for performers’ 
willingness to go to Australia is 
that, because of differences be¬ 
tween Australian and American 
audience reactions, very often an 
act that gets only mediocre reac¬ 
tion in the U. S. elicits strong re¬ 
sponse from the Aussies. 

The kingpin house of the Tivoli 
circuit is the Tivoli, or “Tiv,” in 
Melbourne, a 1,500-seater. This 
house had been leased from the 
owners until recently, but has been 
bought by the circuit for, Martin 
says, $1,000,000, and is currently 
undergoing extensive remodeling. 
The new face will be ready for the 
summer Olympic games. 

The Tivoli and the 1,800-seat 
Sydney house, also called the 
Tivoli* are scaled at a 25-shilling' 
top ($3.50 U. S. currency) for Sat¬ 
urday nights and premieres. Shows 
run two hours and 40 minutes and 
go on six nights a week, exclud¬ 
ing Sundays, with three weekday 
matinees. The one or two-a-day 
policy has great appeal for acts. 

Martin alsoJbooks concert attrac¬ 


tions and legitimate plays for the 
circuit. 

Martin says one of the reasons 
he can scale houses at a $2.25 top, 
with attractions that normally play 
in U. S. houses for a $4.60 top, is 
the mfiss interest among Austra¬ 
lians in theatre entertainment. He 
considers this interest much more 
widespread in Australia than in the 
U. S. 

Gordon-Reyes Competish 

Of course, the biggest thorn in 
Martin’s side lately have been the 
U. S. headliners brought to Aus¬ 
tralia by Lee Gordon and Ben 
Reyes. Playing Johnnie Ray, Bob 
Hope and Betty Hutton in sta¬ 
diums and arenas with a much 
higher scale than prevails at the 
Tivoli theatres, the Gordon-Reyes 
operation has been successful by 
any standards. 

Nonetheless, Martin says,, his 
vaude houses have been competing 
quite successfully and the Gordon- 
Reyes operation has, if anything, 
he claims, made the customers 
aware of “the quality of the enter¬ 
tainment we give them at reason¬ 
able prices.” Martin’s biggest 
quibble is with the expensive ad 
campaigns put on by Gordon arid 
Reyes, which he cannot match. 

Martin’s next round-the-world 
buying trip should bring him back 
to the U. S. sometime in January, 
1957, he says. 

Robeson Sees Chance To 
Appear O’Seas Again 

Ottawa, April 3. 

Paul Robeson believes he will 
soon'be allowed to perform abroad 
again. Singer-actor says he has 
been invited to give a concert tour 
of England and to revive “Othello” 
in London. 

Interviewed i^ Toronto recently, 
Rcbeson said he would play there 
again and tour the rest of Canada 
this year. His Canadian concert 
tour opens in Ottawa April 16, and 
he plays at least 13 other cities 
west to Vancouver, according to 
Jerome Concerts & Artists Ltd., 
handling it. 


Vaude, Cafe Dates 


Growing Oriental Beat 
In Hub Cafes As Civil 
Ban Hits Strip Joints 

Boston, April 3. 

Oriental beat for the Hub is seen 
with opening of two new clubs fea¬ 
turing belly-dancing distaffers 
from Mediterranean ports, which 
have proved popular in two spots 
here already. 

El Morocco, new 200-seater, 
opens Friday night (6), in the 
former Ada Bullock Tremont St. 
restaurant. Downstairs club will 
be operated by Charlie Locke, who 
will also continue with his Guys 
and Dolls upstairs intimer. A new 
kitchen .has been installed and 
Oriental-type food will be served. 

Spot has sent overseas for talent 
and will use three dancers and 
Oriental musicians. 

The Downbeat on BoylstQn St. 
has been sold and is being readied 
for another Oriental nitery. Amir 
Amir, sister of Fawzia Amir, is re¬ 
portedly gtuding the format. 

Two Oriental clubs are now in 
operation, Club Zara and Club 
Khiam. Club Zara, featuring 
Morocco, has been getting the big 
chunk of the biz and has been in¬ 
creasingly designated by Hub cafe 
society as a late spot to top off the 
evening. 

Word-of-mouth of Morocco’s 
dancing, plus her appearances at 
some swank charity parties around 
town, has swamped the spot with 
biz, with the college crowd taking 
up the club as part of* their 
itinerary. 

Success of Club Zara and the 
ban on exotics in the Hub and en¬ 
virons are seen as sparking the 
upsurge of interest in the Oriental 
club format, which allows the use 
of semi-clad dancers going through 
torso wrigglings without the nega¬ 
tive strip nomer. 

Hub conventioneers have little 
to choose from in flesh entertain¬ 
ment these days. With only the 
Casino operating as a semi-bur¬ 
lesque house since the closing of 
the Old Howard, and the damper 
on strippers, the Oriental artists 
may well bring boffola coin to club 
coffers. 


| New York 

Olga James will double from 
“Mr. Wonderful” to Le Cupidon, 
N.Y., starting April 25, “Mr. 
Wonderful” staying ability permit¬ 
ting . . . Lena Home sails for 
Europe April 6 . . . Gogi Grant 
pacted for the Statler, Washing¬ 
ton, April 23, and the Beverly, New 
Orleans, June 8 . . . Herman Gold- 
farb, of the legal and personal 
management firm of Goldfarb, 
Mirenburg & Vallon, leaves for 
Europe April 11 for talent gander- 
ing. He’ll be accomped by press- 
agent Marvin Kohn . . . Tina Louise 
down for Le Cupidon, April 11 . . . 
Marion Marlowe tapped for the 
Three Rivers Inn, Syracuse. July 6 
. . . Henny Youngman goes into the 
Steel Pier, Atlantic City, Aug. 12. 


Chicago 

Danny Thomas pacted for the 
Chez Paree, Chicago, April 23 for 
tv : o frames; dates for Martin & 
Lewis and for Louis Armstrong 
are still not set . . . The Miriam 
Sage line into the Lake Club, 
Springfield, Ill., next Monday (9>. 
. . . Florian Zabach into the Con¬ 
gress Hotel, St. Louis, May 21 . . . 
The Albins currently at the Hotel 
Juaragua, Ciudad Trujillo . . . 
Lenny Colyer into the Town Ca¬ 
sino, Buffalo, April 16 for two 
weeks . . . The Continentals cur¬ 
rently in their 23d week at the 
New Frontier, Las Vegas; they 
open at Vick’s, Minneapolis, April 
30 . . . Gloria Vann opens at the 
Alpine Village, Cleveland, April 9 
for two . . . Dr. Arthur Ellen set 
for the Ko-Ko Club, Phoenix, April 
29 for four frames . . . Dwight 
Fiske into the Safari Room, New 
Orleans, April 17. 


Hollywood 

' Red Nichols & Five Pennies 
open a four-week stand at the 
Riviera, Las Vegas, April 12 . . . 
Margaret Whiting and Dick Con- 
tino set to open April 12 at the 
Flamingo, Las Vegas . . . The 
George Shearing Quintet, current¬ 
ly on a p.a. trek, will appear at 
the U. of Kansas’ annual spring 
celebration April 29 . . . The 
Treniers have been signed for a 


| limited engagement at Jack Gor¬ 
don’s Melody Room beginning 
! April 11 . . . Jane Froman opens a 
two-week engagement at the Co- 
coanut Grove April 11 . . . Del 
Rubio Triplets opened at Larry 
Potter’s Supper C.ub Saturday (31). 

. . . Jazz City pencilled in Shorty 
Rogers & Giants for a May date. 

. . . Mary Kaye Trio opened at the 
Chi, PMm Springs, Friday (30). 


Atlanta 

Joy Dasher, exotic dancer, tops 
the new show which opened Mon¬ 
day (2) at the Gypsy Room. Terper 
is backed up by comedy-singing 
team, Van Kirk & Gloria Shayne. 
Pianist Fay McKay closed a rec¬ 
ord-shattering 21-week engage¬ 
ment at Gypsy Room Saturday 
(31). 

Joe .Cotton’s Steak Ranch this 
week is headlining the Hightow¬ 
er?, team which combines dancing 
and aero routines, who get ade- 
ruate support from dancer Elaine 
Denning; comedian Jerry van 
Dyke: - the Miriam Sage Dancers 
and Models, and Wes Baxter’s or¬ 
chestra. 

British singer Alan Dean bowed 
Thursday (29) at Henry Grady 
Hotel’s Paradise Room, sharing 
the spotlight with the Applctons, 
flashy two girls and a boy team 
of hoofers. Imperial Hotel’s Dom¬ 
ino Lounge is holding over ex¬ 
oticker Kalantan for third week, 
along with femme ventro Lenore 
Walton and emcee George Petras. 

Dene Mustin is new pianist at 
Piedmont Hotel’s Terrace Lounge. 

High Society Five, Dixieland 
combo at Hank & Jerrys’ Hide-' 
away, has substituted Six for Five 
in their name. They ve added a 
base fiddle player. 

Howell House’s Zebra Lounge is 
offering owner Danny Demetry’s 
latest find, song stylist Bobbie 
Jones. Demctry discovered her in 
a small Miami club. 

Paco Isla and his Latin crew are 
pulling SRO crowds into Bill Cart- 
ledge’s Peachtree Manor Hotel El 
Morocco 

Harmonicaires are in their fifth 
week at Atlanta Biltmore Hotel’s 
Empire Room. Tunesters get help 
from musicomedian Bruce Stevens 
and thrush Avril Ames. 


"Nightclubs have a brilliaht new star in GRET- 
CHEN WYLER whose sihging and dancing made 
them yell 'more, morel' in 'Silk Stockings'." 

-EARL WILSON, New York Post . 


"GRETCHEN WYLER at Le Cupidon proves she's 
as fascinating and worthwyler an entertainer 
in a nightclub as she is in the Broadway comedy 
hit show, 'Silk Stockings'." 

-HY GARDNER, Herald Tribune. 


"GRETCHEN'S fetchin' in nightspot bow. Miss 
Wyler, of 'Silk Stockings' fame rocks Le Cupidon 
. . . proceeded to pulverize the people with some 
enchanting special songs written by those spe¬ 
cial, special song writers, Lyn Duddy and Jerry 
Bresler . . . the platinum-tressed, statuesque 
lovely sings in a twangy, low-keyed, Ethel Mer- 
manish manner . . . The Wyler warbler is a 
most welcome addition to the nightclub belt. 
She's got class, look, voice, timing and stage 
presence galore." 

-LEE MORTIMER, Daily Mirror. 


“Le Cupidon was a fouf-star hit last midnight. 
GRETCHEN ('Silk Stockings') WYLER inaugurated 
her supper club entertaining career there with 
the kind of applause reserved usually for rock- 
and-roll hits th^se days." 

-FRANK FARRELL, World-Telegram and Sun. 


“The singer-dancer is now demonstrating she's 
a.so got what it takes for cafe circuit success. 
She's delivering a top-calibre act in her current 
bistro bow at intime eastside Le Cupidon. Her 
stint has click values both in execution and ma¬ 
terial. Miss Wyler is an attractive and energetic 
performer. Her' delivery has a warm quality 
and is enhanced by smart routining and a bright 
song selection." 

-Jess, VARIETY. 


“This was easily GRETCHEN WYLER'S night. She 
turned ip an amazingly wonderful performance, 
more so When it is considered that this was her 
first cafe appftrance . . . Miss Wyler had it 
°nd if she keeps up the pace she'll make a 
much larger dent in big-time cafe circles than 
*he did, in her surprise smash in 'Silk Stockings'." 

-BILL SMITH, Show Business. 



GRETCHEN 
WYLER 


Currently 

“SILK STOCKINGS” 

Imperial Theatre 
New York 

(Opening April 23rd 
SAN FRANCISCO) 

Just Concluded 

LE CUPIDON 

New York 

Dear Gretchen: 

Thank you for the wonderful perform¬ 
ances and the record business you 
have brought to LE CUPIDON. Here's 
looking forward to your return en¬ 
gagement. 

Sincerely, 

JACK ZELL, 

President? LE CUPIDON . 


Personal Management: 

DAVID J. COGAN 

350 5th Avenue, New York OX 5-0076 


Publicity: 
MARVIN KOHN 


Special Material: 

LYN DUDDY and JERRY.BRESLER 


Direction: WILLIAM MORRIS AGENCY 











54 


PfiiRtHfr 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


VARIETY BILLS 

WEEK OF APRIL 4 

Numerals in connection with bills below Indicate opening day of show 
whether full or split week 

Letter in parentheses indicates circuit: (I) Independent; (L> Loew; (M) Moss; 
(P) Paramount; (R) RKO; (S) Stoll; (T) Tivoli; (W) Warner 


NEW YORK CITY 
Music Hall (P) 5 
Rockettes 
Corps de Ballet 
Choral Ensemble 
Larry Griswold 
J Langee 

Palace (P) 5 
Church & Hale 


Doris Stockton 
Morris & Barry 
Valida Snow 
Piero Bros. 
Murio Sc Sheila 
Arltie Dann 
Edwards Bros. 


AUSTRALIA 


MELBOURNE 
Tivoli (T) ? 
Adele Inge 
B Rayes & D Faye 
Jack Powell 
Reg Redcliffe 
Rlli-Aruso 

Lawman 8c Robins 
Romano & Maureen 
Barry Rugless 
Robert O’Donnell 
Roslyn Dunbar 
Lamb & Rahlcn 
Barbara Howe 
Reg Park 
Joe Whitehouse 
Wim De Jong 
Geoff Thorne 
Helen Pluker - 
Dorothy Hickey 
PERTH 

Malestv's (T) 9 
Bill Finch 
Billy Banks 
3 Gypsys 
Brox & Myrna 


Vitch & Partner 
Neal & Newton 
Joe Church 
Romaine & Claire 
Jenny Howard . 
Alain Diagora 
Red Moore 
Ken Littlewood 
Frank Ward 
Jack Baker 
Nola Molloy 
J's’p'n’e McCo’m’k 
SYDNEY 
Tivoli (T) 9 
Hite & Stanley 
Frank Marlowe 
Billy Russell 
Salici Puppets 
J & D Barker 
M & E Rose 
Laycock & Maureen 
Stuffy Bryants ■ 
Gordon Cliater 
Darryl Stewart 
Terry Scanlon 
June Salter 


BRITAIN 


ASTON 

Hippodrome (I) 2 
Syd Cheshire 
Juanita 

Maxwell 8c Manning 
Val Cave 
Merrils 

Yvonne Pr'nd'rgarst 
June Bates 
Noel Lucas 
Ghisette 

BLACKPOOL 
Palace (I) 2 
Oliver 8c Vale 
Peggy Thompson 
Margaret Hurst 
Hickey & Arden 
Marie de Vere 
Medlock 8c Marlowe 
O'Neill 8c Haig 
Joan Hinde 

BIRMINGHAM 
Hippodrome (M) 2 
Frankie Vaughan 
Delicados 
S 8c M Harrison 
Wareham & Barbara 
Jerry Allen 3 
Flying De Pauls 
Jack Francois 
BRADFORD 
Alhambra (M) 2 
Hylda Baker 
Renee Dymott 
P & P Page 
Jimmy French 
Lionel King 


Hollander & Hart 
BRIGHTON 
Hippodrome (M) 2 
Peter Brough 
Ballet Montparnasse 
Rayner & Betty 
Ossie Noble 
Jones & Arnold 
Ronald Chesney 
CHISWICK 
Empire (M) 2 
Eddie Calvert 
Jimmy James Co. 
Gerry Brereton 
El Granada's 
Londonairs 
B 8c B Adams 
Claire Duo 

EAST HAM 
Palace (I) 2 
Terry Cantor"* 
Pauline Penny 
Hal Swain 
Michael Morgan 
Les Nus 
Susan Scott 
Red Preston 
Andrew Allen 
Gabrielle 
Brian Seymour 
Kenny Cantor 
FINSBURY PARK 
Empire (M) 2 
9 Monarchs 
Anton 8c Janetta 
Morecambe 8c Wise 
Walthon 8c Dorraine 
Dennis Hale 
Fayne 8c Evans 
Bobbie Kimber 
Kazan 8c Katz 
GLASGOW 
Empire (M) 2 
Howard Keel ' 

Shane 8c Lamar 
Roger Came 
Falcons 
Billy Dainty 
Allen 8c Albee Sis- 
Peter Dulay 
Kf nways 

HANLEY 
Royal (M) 2 
Phyllis Dixey 
Clro Dancers 
Grossetto & Gaston 
Terry Hall 
Jack Tracey 
Gary Miller 
BU'.n Stennett 
Nordics 

_ LEEDS 
Empire (M) 2 

Bonnie Hilton 

Aur&vt 

Furies 

Baker & Douglas 
Lizzot & Eddie 
Pat Rosa 

. LONDON 
^tfopo'ltan (l) 2 
Cyril Dowlor 


Rhoda Rogers 
Flying Renoes 
3 Debs 

Wayne 8c Brett 
Bourne & Barbara 
Roy Murray 

LEICESTER 
Palace (M) 2 
Carroll Levis 
Eddie Goffron 
Benson Dulay, Co. 
Billy Maxain 
Dynamics 

LIVERPOOL 
Empire (M) 2 
Slim Whitman 
Lane Twins 
George Martin 
Mallini 

Woodward & Cooper 
Tommy Locky 
Maurice French 
Anita 

LONDON 
Palladium (M) 2 
Dave King 
G 8c B Bernard 
Joan Regan 
Walton 8c O'Rourke 
Cabot & Dresden 
Howell & Radcliffe 
Pierre Bel 
Hassanl Troupe 
George Carden * 
Dancers 

Gee Carden D :rs 
Torpmv Trlnder 
MANCHESTER 
Hippodrome (M) 2 
Joan Turner 
Ken Dodd 
Divine & King 
Singing Scholars 
Westway Girls 
Vadios Bros. 

Jim Dale 
Winston Foxv/ell 
NEWCASTLE 
Empire (M) 2 
Don Cornell 
Jack Radcliffe 
Juggling Brauns 
Wright 8c Marion 
Sid Plummer 
Marcles 

NOTTINGHAM 
Empire (Mi 2 
Max Miller 
Granger Bros. 

Nat Gonella 
Joan Mann 
Curibas 
Scott's Co. 

Kordas• 

NORTHAMPTON 
New (I) 2 

Manx 8c Chico 
Saballa 

Arnold & Warren 
Dick Collins 
Syd- Jackson 
Rusty 

Zelda Lamone 
Pnyl Edmond 
Ben Dudley 

PORTSMOUTH 
Royal (M) 2 
Rlchiardi 
Rey Sc Ronjy 
M 8c B West 
Russell 8c Susie 
Johnny Silver 
Bobby .Limb 
“ Maxwells 

SHEFFIELD 
Empire (M) 2 
Norman Evans 
Betty Jumel 
Victor. Seaforth 
Richards 8c Yolanda 
J 8c S LaMonte 
Jackie Trevor 
3 Tumbling Tomb'ys 
SUNDERLAND 
Empire (M) 2 
David Whitfield 
Horler Twins 
Harry Bailey 
Les Marthys 
Jimmy Edmundson 
Renee Strange 
Rita Martell 
YORK 

Tr Empire (I) 2 
Harry Sheils 
King & Joyce 
Bert Edgar 
Dennison 

Duncan Sisters & 
Thomas 

Nobtc & Deieslev 


NEW YORK CITY 


Arete's 

George Stone 
Carolyn Carpenter 
Harry Kane 
Judy Martini 
H Roth Ore 
Beverly 
Bobby Short 
Blue Angel 
Enid Mosier 


Steel Band 
Jorie Remus 
Johnny Mathis 
Joey Carter 
Bon Solr 
Patricia Bright 
Jimmy Komack 
Anita Ellis 
Hazel Webster 
Jimmie .Daniel* 


Cameo 

Mel Torme 
Corky Hale 
Stan Free 
Roger Steele 
Chateau Madrid 
Luisa Triana 
Tun Tun 
Pancho Ore 
Ralph Font 

Copacabana 
Red Buttons 
Eileen Barton 
Chic Layne 
Teddic Vincent 
Mickey Calin 
Grace Genteel 
Michael Durso Ore 
Frank Marti Ore 
Downstairs 
Julius Monk 
June Erickson 
Jack Fletcher 
Dody Goodman 
Gerry Matthews 
Embers 

Carmen Cavallaro 
No. 1 Fifth Ave 
Stan Groves 
Karen Anders 
Bob Downey 
Harold Fonville 
Elegante 
Denise Darcel 
Rowan & Martin 
Russ Currie Ore 
Hot'l H'nry Hudson 
Three Suns 
.Joan Bishop 
Hotel New Yorker 
Lenny Herman Ore 
Hotel Plaza 
Vincente Escudero 
Carmita Garcia 
Felipe Lanza / 
Jose Barrera 
Teresita Osta 
Violetta Diaz 
Chinin De Triana 
Mario Escuderlo 
Pablo Miguel 
Ted Straeter Ore 
Mark Monte Ore 
Hotel Pierre 

Lilo 

Augie 8c Margo 
Alan Logan Ore 
Stanley Melba Ore 
Hotel Roosevelt 
Guy Lombardo Ore 
Hotel Statler 
T & J Dorsey Ore 
Hotel Taft 
Vincent Lopez Ore 
Hotel St. Regis 
Genevieve 
Milt Shaw Ore 
Ray Bari Ore 
Latin Quarter 
Charllvels 
A. L. Simpkins 
Chiqulta & Johnson 
Wazzan Tr 


Harold 8c Lola 
Yasmina 

Jo Lombardi Ore 
B Harlowe Ore 
Le Cupldon 
Carl Ravazza 
Lilli France 
Ernie Warren Ore 
Amapola 
Menenghito Ore 
Le Ruban Bleu 
Wesson & Polk 
Norman Paris 3 
Old Roumanian 
Sadie Banks 
Alan Drake 
Joe Lapone Ore 
D'Aquila Ore 
Park Sheraton 
Mlmi Warren 
Eddie Layton 
Rea Carpet 
Pat Harrington 
Dave Rogers 
Red Benson 
Town & Country 
B 8c J Kean 
Burnell Dancers 
Johnny Morris Ore 
Two Guitars 
Olga Karpis 
Eugene & Sonia 
Andrei Hamshay 
Misha Usdanoff 
Koysta Poliansky 
Ore 

Versailles 
Bill "Shirley 
Betty Benee 
Pat Turner 
Carmen Alvarez 
Larry Daniels 
Cook 8c Corey 
Neile Adams 
Buff Shurr 
Richard Tone 
Eddie Lawrence 
Sharon Shore 
Salvatore Gioe Ore 
Panchito Ore 
Viennese Lantern 
Vicky Autier 
Erika Kolossy 
Ernest Schoen Ore 
Harold Sandler 
Paul Mann 

Village Barn 
Frank" Keenan 
Leonardo & Anita 
Sophie Parker 
Larry McMahon 
Duke Marvin Ore 
Danny Davis Ore 
Waldorf-Astoria 
Ray Bolger 
Nat Brandwynne 
Ore 

Mischa Borr Ore 
Village Vanguard 
Hartig & Mazursky 
Ada Moore 
C Williams Trio 


CHICAGO 


Black Orchid 
Felicia Sanders 
Irwin Corey 
Tommy Gumina 
Blue Angel 
"Calypso Caravan" 
Luis Torrens 
J. McCleverty 
Calypso Band 
Carl McCleverty 
Marianne 

Blue Note 
Claude Thornhill 
Maxine Sullivan 
Chez Paree 
Tony Martin 
Alan King 
Chez Paree Ad'r'b's 
Brian Farnon Ore 
Cloister Inn 
Pat Moran 4 


Lurlean Hnnter 
Dick Marx 
Johnny Frigo 
Conrad Hilton 
"Icearama" 

Neff & Voss 
Shirley Linde 
Michael Meehan 
Dave Park 
Boy Foy 

Bergman & Miml 
Tune Tattlers 
Boulevar-Dears 8c 
Boulevar-Dons 

F. Masters Ore 
London House 
Calvin Jackson 4 
Palmer House 
Jose Greco 
Charlie Fisk Ore 


LOS ANGELES 


Ambassador Hotel 
Ames Bros. 

Russ Morgan Ore > 
Bar of Music 
Hank Penny 
Sue Thompson 
Zulch & Noble 
* Beverly Hilton 
Horace Heidt Revue 
Biltmore Hotel 
Sue Carson 
Wilder Bros. (3) 
Shyrehos (3) 

Hal Derwln Ore 
Clro's 

Mary Kaye Trio 
Step Bros. (4) 

Dick Stabile Ore 
Geri Galian Ore 
Crescendo 
Billy Eckstlne 


Dick West 
Tony Martinez 
Macayo 
Lili St. Cyr 
Isabella Campo 
Frankie D'Amore 
Dante Varela Trio 
Mocambo 
Arthur Blake 
Rubin Moreno Trio 
Paul Hebert Ore 
Moulin Rouge 
Bob Williams 
Romanos Bros. 

W. W. Stevens 
Ffolliott Charlton 
Eddie O'Neal Ore 
Statler Hotel 
Constance Moore 
Danii 8c Genii Prior 
Eddy Bergman Ore 


LAS VEGAS 



Desert Inn 

Patti Page 
Wiere Bros. 

Pony Sherrell 
Art Johnson 
Donn Arden Dncrs 
Carlton Hayes Ore 
El Cortez 
Larry K. Nixon 
Abbey Loncoln 
Kumar 

Sherman Hayes Ore 
El 'Rancho Vegas 
Eartha Kitt 
Myron Cohen 
Ted Flo Rito Ore 
Flamingo 
Dick Shawn 
De Castro Sisters 
Rickie Layne 
Ron Fletcher Dncrs 
L. Basil Ore 
Golden Nugget 
H. Ranch Band 
Polly Possum 
Joe Wolverton 
Townsmen 
Betty Taylor 
New Frontier 
“Hooray For Life” 
Jack Carson 
Cass Daley 
Leo Diamond 
Giselle Szony 8c 
Cabots 

Dorben Dncrs 
Garwood Van Ore 
Riviera 
Ben Blue 
Patti Moore 
Ben Lessy 
Dorben Dncrs 
Ray Sinatra Ore 
Sahara 
Bob Crosby 


Sarah Vaughan 
Modernaires 
Bobcats 
BUd Sc Cece 
Robinson . ,, 
Saharem Dancters 
Cee Davidson Ore 
Sands 

Frank Sinatra 
Bunny Briggs 
Linda Lawson 
Sandmen 
Copa Girls 
A. Morelli Ore 
Showboat 
Jimmy Casanova 
Sharon Knight 
Garr Nelson 
Showboat Girls 
Lawrences 8c 
Beverly " 

Rossi 8c Mac D'rm’tt 
Mike Werner Ore 
silver slipper 
Sally Rand 
.Four Knights 
Hank Henry 
Sparky Kaye 
3 Dolls 1 
Cliff Ferre 
Denise Bennett 
J. Cavanaugh 
Sllpperettes 

G. Redman Ore 
Thunderblrd 
Allan Jones 
Roger Ray 
Meg Brown 
Sonny Howard 
Cordollns 
Roby 8c Dell 
Barney Rawlings 
Thunderblrd Dncrs 
A1 Jahns Ore 


miami-miami beach 

Dlck , 9 St e e r ri.n h , 0tH I * Amoral Hotel 
Nlnn * iffiL ■ P n £ ca & Novello 
Mina & Renea Rudy Baum Ore 

Arne Burnett Ore I Wayne Carmichael 


■ar of Musle 

Bill Jordan 
Gina Valente 
Hal Fisher 
Beth Challls 
Harvey Bell 
Fred Thompson 
Casablanca 
Lillian Hayes 
Mickey Manners 
Bob Regent Ore 
DILIdo Hotel 
Sager Dancers 
La Plnya Sextet 
Emilio Reyes Ore 
Bea. Kalmus 
Ederi Roc 
Georgia Gibbs 
Lenny Kent 
R 8c E Reyes 
Mai Malkin Ore 
Cliuey Reyes Ore 
Empress Hotel 
Jerry Lester 
Grade Barrie 
Mandy Campo Ore 
Fontainebleau 
Davis & Reese 
Georgle Tapps Co. 
Sacasas Ore 

L'Alglon 
Marion Colby 
Horace Diaz Ore 
Lucerne 
Mickey Katz 
The Tip Toppers 
Jacques Donnet Ore 
Leon & Eddie's 
Can-Can Girls 
Flash O'Farrcll 
Marian Wilkens 
Denise 
Atoma 

Kenilworth 
Carroll & Gorman 
Michael Marvin Ore 
Monte Carlo Hotel 
Lillian Roth ' 
Martin & Maio 
Leonard Young 
Ben Novack Ore 
Murray Franklin's 
Roberta Sherwood 
Danny Rogers 
Murray Franklin 
Allan Walker 


Nautilus 
Patsy Shaw 
Antone 8c Ina 
Syd Stanley Ore 
Place PIgalle 
Mary Mack 
Pat Halladay 
Wlck-Wacks (4) 

Joe Cash 
Kaye Gayle 

Roney Plaza 
Eadle 8c Rack 
Calo 8c Musette 
Noro Morales Ore 
San Souci Hotel 
Henny Youngman 
Frank Lynn 
Freddy Calo Ore 
Saxony Hotel 
Jose Cortes Ore 
Johnny Silvers Ore 
Seville 
Phil Foster 
Barry .Sisters 
Fletcher Peck 3 
C Reader Ore 
Sea Isle Hotel 
Harry Harden Ore 
Pasty Abbott 
Thunderblrd 
Maxie Rosenbloom 
Nic-Nax 

Luis Gomez Dncrs 1 
Vanity Fair 
Malagon Sisters 
Pearl Williams 
Alicia Marquez 
Sallie Blair 
Noro Morales Ore 
Versailles Hotel 
Alan Gale 
Billy Shepard 
Buddy Clayton 
A J 8c Ron 
Teddy King Ore 
5 O'clock 
Bubbles Darlene 
Tommy R£ft 

H. S. Gump 
Parisian Rev 
- Vagabonds Club 
The Vagabonds (4) 
Jan Welles 
Ronnie Eastman 
Elissa Jayne 
Frank Linale Ore 
Woody Woodbury 


HAVANA 

Tropicana __ , "Casino Playa Orq 


Gloria & Rolando 
Billy Daniels 
Xiomara Alfaro 
Miguel Angel Ortiz 
S Suarez Orq 
A Romeu Orq 
Montmartre 
Zenia 

Nanolo Towente 
Carlos Santos 
May Julio 
Clarisse Novo 
Angelita Castany 
Marcia Marcos 
P. Godino 


Fajardo Orq 
Sans Souci 
Mello' Larks 
Ceferino Barios 
Sonia Calero , 
Nancy Lopez 
Victor Alvarez 
Ramon Iglesias 
Rivero Ore 
Ballet 

R Ortega Ore 
Nadonal 

Fernanda Montel 
Parlsien Ore 
Cuban Ore 


Mapes Skyroom 

Sonny Howard 
Johnny Bachemin 
Colleanos 
Skylets 

Eddie Fitzpatrick 


RENO 

Riverside 

Davis 8c Reese 
Remanos Bros. 
Beverlee Dennis 
Starlets ( 8 )' 

Bill Clifford Ore 


Loew Options 

=== Continued from page 1 — s 

Kirkeby. Dore Schary, v.p. and 
production chief, is reported, to 
have picked up 50,000 out of the 
100,000 shares for which he has 
an option. 

Under the original stock option 
plan*, six executives were granted 
options to purchase varying 
amounts of Loew’s common stock 
at 16 7/16. In addition to the 
100,000 shares granted to Schary, 
other execs received options in the 
following amounts: prexy Arthur 
M. Loew, 40.000; v.p. and treasurer 
Charles C. Moskowitz, 27,500; v.p. 
Louis K. Sidney. 27,500; v.p. Ben¬ 
jamin Thau, 27,500; and Loew’s 
Theatres topper Joseph R. Vogel, 
27.500. 

With the termination of Sidney’s 
employment contract, his stock 
option was cut from 27,500 to 
18,332, thus reducing the total 
amount of optioned stock to 240,- 
832 shares. The optionees were 
Dermitted to exercise oart of their 
options starting Jan. 17, 1952, and 
were allowed-to pick up an addi¬ 
tional one-sixth of the total amount 
of shares alloted each succeeding 
year until Jan. 17, 1957. 

However, none of the option 
holders exercised their grants 
until this year. Prexy Arthur Loew 
started the ball rolling when he 
announced at the annual stock¬ 
holders’ meeting that he had 
purchased a substantial number of 
shares.' He revealed his buy to 
answer stockholder criticism that 
he did not own any shares of com¬ 
pany stock. 

Originally, the distribution of 
shares of the new theatre company, 
established because of the Gov- 
-ernment’s consent decree, was 
slated for February, 1957. Under 
the splitting arrangement, each, 
shareholder receives a half a share* 
'of stock in each corporation (the 
theatre company and the produc¬ 
tion company) for each share held 
. presently in Loew’s Inc. The date 
for the split has been advanced and 
will probably take place some time 
in September. The board of direc¬ 
tors, meeting on thp Coast April 
11, most likely will set the exact 
date. 

Kirkeby, it’s believed, will re¬ 
ceive 20% of the profits for the 
package he fifianced. The Loew’s 
execs who participated in the 
Kirkeby agreement can hold their 
shares for six months In order to 
obtain a capital gains deal and 
then can sell off enough of their 
. shares to paY the hotel man. 
Loew’s stock is currently- selling 
I at about 22. 


House Reviews 


- Paramount, B’klyn 

Allan Freed presentation with 
The Royaltones (5.), Rover Boys 

(4) , Platters (5), Willows (5), Teen 
Agers (5), Clef tones (5), Jodimars 

(5) , Dori Anne Gray, Ruth McFad- 
den, Cindy & Lindy, Sam ' CThe 
Man) Taylor Orch (18); "Battle 
Stations" (Col). 


Rock ’n’ roll seems to be more 
than a tempory fad/ Usually, a 
musical movement has a short 
duration, after which the rough 
spots are ironed out and selected 
portions become a permanent part 
of . the day’s musical literature. 
This doesn’t seem to be the case 
with this dance form. It seems to 
be getting a wider and wilder base. 
The kids that came in on this early 
in its career, about two years ago, 
are still with it, but the new ad¬ 
herents seem to be getting young¬ 
er. It’s staying powers are being 
demonstrated with Alan Freed’s 
second repeat at this house. WINS 
disk jockey, arch-priest of rock ’n’ 
roll, holds the alltime record at 
this Brooklyn house which in its 
day used to be a name entertain¬ 
ment centre. Now he’s playing a 
10-day engagement here and from 
appearances, records will mean lit¬ 
tle during this period when the 
kids will be home from school. 

In a b.o. sense, rock *n’ roll Is 
the top grosser of this decade in 
N. Y. -theatres. Freed and his form 
of music have given various houses 
a terrific charge. In fact, that’s all 
that a lot of theatres will play. If 
they can’t have rock ’n’ roll—let’s 
not have a show. 

Yet for all the loot that passes 
through the cashier’s cage with 
rock ’n’ roll, it’s not a healthy de¬ 
velopment for show biz. It is frank¬ 
ly a negative influence for the 
juves. It encourages the kids to 
get out of their reserves and let 
loose in whatever way rock ’n’ roll 
moves ’em. It’s the kind of music 
that encourages a frightening wild¬ 
ness. Of course, the swing era, 
circa 1936, used to entice the kids 
to dance in the aisle and shriek at 
theifr bands and singers. But that 
generation didn’t require the serv r 
ices of platoons of policemen inside 
and outside .the theatre to main¬ 
tain a sense of order. Further¬ 
more, those kids belonged,, to a 
dancing generation. Strictly speak¬ 
ing the kids today aren’t—so they 
are worked up to a peak that tears 
itself away elsewhere. And the 
youth of these kids is lamentable. 

Yet it isn’t the fault of the 
youngsters that leads them to look 
for release in rock ? n’ roll. The 
mature elements probably have 
paved the way for this condition. 
This is the era when “expose”-type 
magazines have the largest news¬ 
stand sales. 

Again, this might be the ulti¬ 
mate in the music industry’s quest 
for new sounds, which seems to 
have brought several segments of 
the business to a dubious brink of 
release. Rock ’n’ roll is a new 
sound that came about two years 
ago. It has a frightening uniformi¬ 
ty. Alan Freed’s Brooklyn Para¬ 
mount show is an example. 

The bulk of the program com¬ 
prises male singing groups with 
such names as The Platters, The 
Royaltones, The Rover Boys. The 
Willows, The Teen Agers, The 
Flamingoes, The Cleftones and 
others, most of which are made up 
of five boys, based around two 
mikes, with one lad doing the lead. 
Theres also the inevitable sax 
break. There’s a tremendous Vigor 
in their presentation, and the pro¬ 
jection is sufficiently graphic to 
excite squeals, jumping in the 
seats and other manifestations that 
make it rough for the usheVs and 
the police squads stationed inside 
the house. 

There is, of course, some differ¬ 
ence in the various groups, but un¬ 
less one has a sharp knowledge of 
vocal effects, the -major difference 
lies in the color of the costumes. 
There are kellygreen, scarlet, and 
white tuxes, some groups came on 
in brown suits, but always there is 
a shapness of dress. The Teen 
Agers came on with lettered 
sweaters. 

There is some relief from this 
diet of staples. There were two 
singles. Dori Anne Gray and Ruth 
McFadden; a couple* Cindy & 
Lindy; and the Jodimars, an or¬ 
chestra made up of fragments of 
Bill Haley's Comets, who are far 
wilder than Spike Jones ever 
dreamed of being. The musicrew 
backing comprises Sam (The Man) 
Taylor’s outfit, lead by Freed. 

Freed’s own behavior is toned 
down this session. Aside from con¬ 
ducting the orchestra and ‘introd¬ 
ucing acts in pretty much'of r a 
standard 1 manner, he makes little 


attempt to incite the juvesters. He 
spends the bulk of his time in the 
wings, while a colleague conducts 
the musicrew. 

The house has a healthy amount 
cc Pinkerton men around the prem¬ 
ises, and a large number of police¬ 
men outside are on call should any 
difficulty develop'inside the house. 
With all these gendarmes around, 
the youngsters would be silly to 
start cutting up, or do anything 
more than stomping or yelling or 
indulging in minor individualistic 
forms of exhibitionism. Jose. 


L’Olyinpin, Paris 

Paris, April 1. 

Josephine Baker, Robert Rocca, 
Nuk, Tay-Ru, Ramses - (4), Jean 
Bertola, Margrit & EUelyn, Marta 
& Alexander; $1.50 top. 


This stint marks Josephine 
Baker’s farewell to show biz as 
she retires to her property, Les 
Milandes, to conduct her private 
affairs and running a resort she 
has created from her holdings 
which contain a swimming pool, a 
hotel, a theatre, fi, night club, a 
dance hall and bars. She may still 
entertain in her private club. 

There was some emotionalism 
among her older fans as she went 
into her “J’Ai Deux Amours.” For 
the younger set she displays her 
energy and clojheshorse aspects. 
Dazzling robes, topped by a dia¬ 
mond studded headress, showed 
up her still supple dance qualities. 
Voice is big, if not completely per¬ 
sonalized, and her forays into the 
audience are more subdued. It is 
the farewell of a symbol of an era, 
who, in her own words, said that 
time had passed and it was wise 
to know when to withdraw. 

If this is really her last show 
Miss'Baker retires with- her con¬ 
summate show qualities intact and 
the Olympia will be packed for the 
next three weeks as Paris says so 
long. 

Besides Miss Baker, Bruno Co- 
quatrix has surrounded her with a 
topnotch supporting bill for- those 
not in a sentimental mood. Robert 
Rocca spins a bunch of stories 
and chansonnier patter that blues 
up the atmosphere somewhat,' but 
has the saving grace of wit. Tay- 
Ru does his one-hand stands with 
grace and suppleness and then 
does his topper, a one finger stand 
while spinning rings on both feet. 

Ramses are a dynamic aero 
quartet composed of three boys 
and a muscular girl who unders 
for the lifts and does the throwing 
about. Margrit & Evelyn are a 
couple of femme hand-to-handers 
who go through their balancing 
with the aplomb of the so-called 
stronger sex. An okay opener, for 
most situations. Marta & Alexan¬ 
der are two Negro dancers who. 
give an agitated Cuban terp ses¬ 
sion. 

Jean Bertola has a pleasing 
voice but is mainly a band singer 
with fine enunciation. Nuk is a 
musical clown reviewed under 
New Acts. Mosk. 


Palace, N. Y. 

Hungaria Troupe 16), Martin 
Bros. (2), Ross Wyse Jr. & Jan 
Adams, Betty Luster, Authors & 
Swinson, Helene Vernon Trio, Don 
Cummings, Gautier's Steeplechase, 
Myron Roman Orch; “Tribute to 
a Bad Man" (MG) reviewed in 
Variety March 21, '56. 

The Palace bill gets up steam 
as it goes along, and the net result 
is an applause-getting session. 
Most of the turns are vets at this 
house, but there are a number of 
new faces to provide additional in¬ 
terest. 

The initial show was distin¬ 
guished by a series of miscalcula-. 
tions. Barry Authors & Howard 
Swinson, who have spent the ma¬ 
jority of their working days 
abroad, do a record act, but their 
finale has them littering the floor 
with pages .of a telephone direc¬ 
tory. This is a hazard to the act 
that follows, an adagio turn, Hel¬ 
ene Vernon Trio. 

Don Cummings in the next-to- 
closing slot provides additional 
litter with his bit, similar to the 
Skelton Guzzler’s Gin skit. The 
ponies, dog and monk in Gautier’s 
Steeplechase closing the show, 
were sufficiently unnerved by the 
condition of the stage to be fright¬ 
ened away from their usual pro¬ 
ficiency. 

Authors & Swinson, on their 
first date here, started out with 
some puerile gagging, but once 
they went into their record pan¬ 
tomimes, they, hit the fancy of the 
crowd nicely, In their finale, there 
were a couple of ylapses in taste, 
hut- overall effect#was okay. The 
11 (Continued oh p&fce 62) ! 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


PfiklETY 


NIGHT CLUB REVIEWS 


55 


Waldorf-Astoria, N. Y. 

Ray Bolger, with Edward Scott; 
Rat Brandwynne and Mischa Borr 
Orchs; $2 and $3 convert. 


Ray Bolger gave the Empire 
Room of the Waldorf on Easter 
Monday a Broadway-Hollywood 
glam premiere aura. Its a first 
here for the dancing man with the 
comedy feet and he made it an un¬ 
usual fete with a tour-de-force 
terp-down recital. 

On the floor almost an hour 
Bolder was the master all the way. 
Ucually reserving his in-person 
saioonacies for the Vegas set, he 
evidences he can charm the Park 
Ave mob with the same dispatch 
and* perhaps greater eclat in light 
of the nondistractions from the 
green cloths in any outer casino. 

From the teeoff “New York’' 
item from a former Betty Com- 
den-Adolph Green score, he se¬ 
gues into a dance cavalcade which 
ranges from “Old Soft Shbe” 
(yesteryear vaude idiom) to a 
dance-style revue of the ’20s 
(Charleston, Black Bottom), into 
the conga-samba-rhumba-mambo 
(“this never meant a thing to Mae 
Murray, but it did to Arthur”), and 
into a snatch bebop, a funny Baer- 
Louis fight impression, a sad sack 
routine, more tapstering, and a 
rousing Lili St. Cyr dance trav¬ 
esty, done broadly and to strong 
laugh returns. Interlarded are 
choruses of “Amy,” from “Where’s 
Charley?,” his last Broadway legit 


click. 

The rubberlegs are still there 
and the zany.terp values ditto. If 
there is need for cutting, the sad 
sack nonsense could be curtailed 
but the opening night turnout was 
exceedingly responsive and com- 
mensurately generous with the 
hand-to-hand music. 

The Waldorf’s Empire Room has 
become a standout nitery operation 
under the new Joe Binns-Claude 
Philippe & Co. concept of above;- 
par hotel divertissement w i t h 
cuisine to match. Wisely this 
flagship Hilton hostelry has re¬ 
moved itself as much as possible, 
at least under chain operation, 
from stylized show, food and serv¬ 
ice. This decentralization has seen 
a number of unusual and/or offbeat 
bookings of the calibre of Dorothy 
Dandridge, Maurice Chevalier, 
Benny Goodman, Harry Belafonte, 
all to socko returns. Goodman 
was a particularly fortuitous 
booking from both viewpoints— 
it gave him a distinctive showcas¬ 
ing for his Gotham comeback and 
the Waldorf has been cashing in 
on the snowballing values from 
U’s “Benny Goodman Story” and 
the wealth of BG diskery revivals 
attendant thereto. So much so 
that he is returning in July to the 
Starlight Roof on the heels of 
Belafonte’s reopening of the sum¬ 
mer season. Also unusual for mass 
operation like the Waldorf is the 
slick waitering under maitre d’s 
Albert and Francois, with Gigi a 
peripatetic supervisor Of the res¬ 
taurants and the seemingly omnipo¬ 
tent Philippe an exacting exec 
when it comes to food, beverages 
and particularly service. Abel. 


Chez Faroe, Chi 

Chicago, March 29. 
Tony Martin (with Hal Bourne), 
Alan King, Chez Pare.e Adorables 
(6), Brian Farnon Orch; $1.50 cov¬ 
er, $3.75 minimum. 


Despite opening-night holes in 
the crowd occasioned by Lenten 
and Passover observance, the Chez 
should do SRO business for the 
duration of Tony Martin’s three- 
week run. 

Martin does his usual topflight 
song-selling job here, for more 
than ample returns from the cus¬ 
tomers. Although he was on too 
long opening show (70 minutes), 
nobody complained. His rep, well- 
balanced between hits of the mo¬ 
ment and old faves, is suavely 
tied together with the Martin kind 
of charm that hits the matrons, 
Particularly, right where it counts. 
^ Able backing is supplied by Hal 
^urne, Martin’s musical director, 
at the keyboard. Bourne has also 
rehearsed the specially augmented 
■Brian Famon orchestra into a 
smooth rendition of his arrange¬ 
ments. Martin gets a plus with his 
own ^version of “Love and Mar- 
*?| e ( > he also gets big returns 
with Security,” a humorous Mex- 
«« no takeoff with Yiddish double 
entendres. Martin wraps up with 
- his latest platter, “Flamenco 
r-ove, and opens the dancing by 
Piaymg band vocalist for a few 
{m rs as the customers crowd onto 
ing floo^, It’s a very smooth end- 

m,u lan K V}g handles comic chores 
e « CMdltabl y. once be gets go- 
, He starts off with a few barbs 
JW » lter y fires that border on 
but ta i te ai ? d get little reaction, 

the h % star * s hittln g on 

clea*. *S. les -°, f exurbia he scores 
hnm 1 ! hlts . Wltb ’ the preponderantly 
home-owning audience. , His thrusts 


at teevee showcasing of crime, vio¬ 
lence and brutality also get yocks. 
He gets strong, reaction despite 
the audience impatience for the 
star. 

The Chez Paree Adorables this 
time around alternate between a 
tastefully-don production number 
and one done in execrable taste. 
Their “Mardi Gras” number is 
beautifully costumed and well 
choreographed, with Jimmie Lee’s 
vocal backing^ and dancing, the 
latter a debut* for him, adding a 
definite plus to the proceedings. 
The Adorables’ “Brides” number 
verges on a travesty and would 
have been better left out. 

Brian Farnon’s band does an ex¬ 
pert backing and dansapating job, 
as usual. Gabe. 


Ititz Carlton, Montreal 

Montreal, March 30. 
Vicki Benet (with Jerry Mar¬ 
lowe), Johnny Gallant, Joe Settano 
Trio; $1.50-$2 cover. 


‘ Newcomer Vicki Benet is quite 
an Easter dish for the patrons of 
the Ritz Carlton’s swank cafe in 
this three-weeker, and does much 
to establish this boite’s rep for 
glamorous chirpers of sophisticated 
song. Miss Benet, who has appeared 
in London and on the Coast, is 
making her initial bid to easterners 
via this room and opening-night 
impact suggests that she should do 
nicely in any of the better spots. 

Bearing a rather strong resem¬ 
blance to La Monroe and endowed 
with the same startling physical 
attributes, Miss Benet sports a 
French wardrobe that can’t be 
ignored and backs this okay ap¬ 
pearance with a set of pipes that 
have range and clarity. A linguist 
of some ability, Miss Benet -is ideal 
in this room as she switches easily 
from • English to French and if 
necessary can add spice with a 
couple of other languages. 

A Gallic starter pleases and then 
an intro-type arrangement of 
“Getting to Know You” breaks the 
patron ice as she tours ringside 
sans mike. Although latter is 
friendly in the immediate vicinity, 
a hand mike would hold interest in' 
the far reaches of the room and 
keep tempo at a better peak. 

Her interp of lyric-writer Jack 
Elliott’s (he is also her personal 
manager) “Be Mine” and “Heart 
of Paris,” with music for the latter 
by Gilbert Becaud, prove high¬ 
lights of the offering. 

More restrained movements and 
a different hair-do would get this 
attractive thrush away from the 
Monroe look. Accompanist Jerry 
Marlowe and the Settano Trio give 
Miss Benet solid support and house 
pianist Johnny Gallant does in¬ 
terlude music in his usual capable 
fashion. Despite fact opening 
happened during Holy Week, biz 
was near capacity and with the 
end of Lent should continue on 
the upswing. Newt. 


Tavern-on-Green, TV. Y. 

Milton Saunders (6) & Monchito 
(6) Orchs; minimum $2.50, $3.50. 


Tavern-on-the-Greeri, one of the 
town’s dine-and-dance landmarks, 
has taken on a new atmosphere 
with' its reopening last week (29). 
Arthur Knorr, for many years the 
stage and designer at the Roxy 
Theatre, and who has designed 
several other eateries in town as 
an avocation, has given the spot 
its new decor. It retains the spe¬ 
cial characteristics of this Central 
Park dining room, but has concen¬ 
trated on making it a cheerful spot 
with a warm decor. Under the 
present setup, outdoor dining and 
dance is possible the entire year. 

Tavern-on-the-Green has a tra¬ 
dition as a dancery. The late 
Eddy Duchin came to prominence 
there, and the room has hosted a 
lot of name bands, especially dur¬ 
ing the era when radio remotes 
used to originate there. The pres¬ 
ent podium occupants are Milton 
Saunders and Monchito, both of 
whom wield a powerful influence 
on the terpers. Saunders, with an 
instrumentation of trumpet, ac¬ 
cordion, sax and rhythm section, 
has a well-versed crew that com¬ 
bines the strong beat of the so¬ 
ciety bands, but strives for a little 
more accent and variety of mel¬ 
ody. Saunders batons affably and 
is seemingly appreciated by the 
crowd, 

Monchito makes no specialty of 
any particular type of Latin dance 
beat, dispensing all the popular 
forms. Thus one set may have 
anything from a rhumba to a 
merengue. He drives home a com¬ 
pelling beat and keeps the floor 
occupied. 

Although the dinner trade is for 
the mature elements, the room is 
likely to attract a huge portion of 
the prom trade which starts in a 
few weeks. Although it will have 
the competition of the name out¬ 
fits in hotels, spot will be able to 
compete handily for the young¬ 
sters on the basis of price ; £n4 at¬ 
mosphere. Jose : 


Hotel Pierre, N. Y. 

Lilo (5), Augie & Margo, Stanley 
Melba Och (conducted by Joseph 
Sudy), Alan Logan Orch; couvert 
$2, $2.50. 


. The Cotillion Room of the 
Pierre Hotel has returned to the 
French standard. It seems to be 
the pattern of all the class mid¬ 
town inns that the major entertain¬ 
ment stress be in the Gallic vein. 
The current lure - is Lilo backed by 
four singers (New Acts). She es¬ 
sayed the lead in the Cole Porter 
legiter, “Can-Can,” which had a 
two-year run in New York. Her 
preem was probably the most 
celebrity-laden in some time, and 
indications point to a fine business 
spread during her four-week term. 
Biz subsequent to her opening has 
been exceptional despite the 
preem during Holy Week. (Bullish 
biz will see her extended two extra 
weeks of Constance Bennett’s suc¬ 
cessor booking can be shifted back 
a fortnight). 

The Cotillion Room seems to 
thrive on the French touch, 
whether it be the Americanized 
variety a la Hildegarde or Denise 
Darcel. Lilo brings an admixture 
of both in a manner that wins 
audience approval. 

Lilo’s entry is preceded by the 
ballroomers, Augie & Margo, a 
youthful tandem who seem to have 
a ’ natural exuberance that they 
tone down in favor of a sensual 
effect. The male is a dark, brood¬ 
ing type while the girl gives a 
femme fatale appearance. Their 
big number is a Frankie & Johnny 
prototype with Latin overtones 
which does well for them. Per¬ 
haps a little less accent on their 
dramatics would give them a 
greater lift, although their recep¬ 
tion here is ample. 

The room’s music is in the 
capable hands of the Stanley Mel¬ 
ba band batoned by Joseph Sudy. 
Nicky Perrito moves in while Lilo 
is on board; The relief is by the 
slick Alan Logan crew. Jose. 


Seville, Miami Roach 

Miami Beach, March 30. 
Phil Foster, Barry Sisters, 
Charles Reader Orch; $3.50 min. 


This is the last regular bill for 
the Matador Room in mid-Beach’s 
newest hotel, policy switching next 
week to change of show nightly un¬ 
til next season. Prime reason for 
the change can be traced to lack 
of business since premiere during 
Christmas holiday week. Odd note 
is fact that the tandem o'.acts play¬ 
ing out the finale sessions is pull¬ 
ing the heaviest patronage—tribute 
to draw values of Phil Foster and 
the Barry sisters, established favor¬ 
ites in this resort, enough so to be 
booked three times in different 
spots during.the past winter. 

Foster, in usual forthright fash¬ 
ion, applies his Brooklynese to the 
rundown of characters and situa¬ 
tions familiar to cafegoers here¬ 
abouts, most of whom can apply 
self-identification to the described 
resort types, guys and gals on the 
make; growing-up years with the 
folks and married life, etc. Foster 
injects a new bit that is a departure 
from his comedies norm, a poignant 
limning of a visit backstage by a 
corner-gang buddy of teenage days. 

The Barry Sisters, always high- 
slyle gowned, are one of the more 
satisfying singing teams around. 
The harmonics are blended to the 
classy arrangements that make 
their carolings sound like they 
were enjoying the tunes as much 
as the auidtor. Special material 
aids in the balancing. Balladings 
are inventively staged and lighted 
to zoom up palm reaction. 

Charles Reader and his orch add 
depth to the show music, proving 
again one of the better aggre**"- 
tions to play for floor shows in this 
area. Lary. 


Viennese Lantern, TV. Y. 

Vicky Autier, Erika Kolossy, Er¬ 
nest Schoen Orch; $2.50 minimum. 


Max Loew, owner of this uptown 
pleasure dome, has of late become 
an international impresario. He' 
cases talent in the European capi¬ 
tals and thus has been able to sup¬ 
ply a number of fresh voices to 
New York. This ability to provide 
a new note in entertainment with 
imports has apparently paid off in 
many directions. His latest, Vicky 
Autier (New Acts), has already i 
been booked for the Roxy, to dou¬ 
ble starting April 12. , 

Another entertainer at this Alt 
Wien spot, Erika Kolossy, also pro¬ 
vides a different note. She’s a 
Magyar diva with a dramatic flair 
and tune selection that has an in¬ 
ternational flavor. Miss KolOssy 
specializes in Hungarian tunes, but 
she’s sufficiently dramatic to make 
known the romantic intent of her 
numbers despite the language bar¬ 
rier. 

One of the major facets of the 
Loew operation is the music. The 
.spot carries a batch of musicians 
who are virtually an entertain¬ 


ment unit in themselves. Under 
the baton of Ernest SchoOn, they 
recall the melodies of the gay 
European capitals with song and 
alternatingly gay and soulful in-' 
strumentals. The Vierinese Lan¬ 
tern is still one of the landmarks 
in gemuthlichkeit in New York, 
and even has. a reminder o! 
Lindy’s for the expatriates from 
Broadway. The Sherr Bros., Larry 
& Walter, used to be captains in 
that midtown eatery and even the 
Broadway touch seems to add to 
the cosmopolitan atmosphere of 
this haunt. . . Jose. 


Oiaso Hul), SI. Lauis 

St. Louis, March 28. 

Marion Marlowe, Paul Neigh¬ 
bors’ Orch (11); $1-$1.50. 

After producing elaborate musi¬ 
cals that ran for seven weeks in 
this westend room, Harold Koplar 
has switched to the former policy 
of name acts. First under the new 
format is Marion Marlowe, a 
native, in her first p.a. in her home 
since her hassle with Arthur God¬ 
frey. ’Tis a different gal than 
appeared before the tv cameras. 

She’s lost considerable avoir¬ 
dupois, has a new hairdo, wears a 
different style of attire, has a 
varied repertory of ditties, but 
nonetheless has lost none of her 
chirping talent. Instead of the 
operetta ditties trilled under the 
kleigs, her- solo repertory at this 
session is a combo of pop . and 
speciality numbers that win almost 
continuous palm-pounding. 

In one of her novelty numbers, 
"There Wouldn't Be A Me Without 
You,” in which she covers holidays 
and social events missed during- 
her nitery trek, Miss Marlowe 
tosses cotton snowballs, fountain 
pens, rolling pins, paper hats, 
Valentine candy, etc., to the chair- 
warmers to pinpoint the occasion. 

After a 35-minute stint before 
the mike, with a swell change of 
pace, the ringsiders demand more. 
For an encore she warbles “Sor- 
i rento.” Miss Marlowe cops a big 
mitt with her “I Gotta Get Hot,” in 
which she tosses the shapely torso 
around in addition to a few bumps. 
Among the newies that also score 
are “Was Ever There a Night Like 
This,” “Brother Bill” and “Mrs. 
Noah.” Her accompanist, Jerry 
Bre'ssler, and Paul Neighbors’ foot¬ 
ers do a neat job in backing up the 
proceedings. Sahu. 


Stallcr-HiDton, Dallas 

Dallas, March 24. 
Carl Ravazza, Dorothy Kramer 
Dancers (5), Bob Cross Orch (12); 
$2-$2.50 cover. 


Carl Ravazza, a fave here as a 
singing bandleader in the middle 
’30s and featured in 1948’s State 
Fair Musicals, again scores as a 
nitery headliner. With a back-of- 
the-room entry, he takes to the 
raised stage for a Continental- 
flavored 40-minute vocal showcas¬ 
ing. Ballads are well received, but 
his Calypso pairing, "Banana Tree” 
and a sock- “Calypso Joe” (sans 
band backing), register heavily. 

Another segment has Ravazza 
pleasing Empire Room tablers 
with “They’ll Never Believe Me,” 
segueing into “It Must Be True,” 
“You Were Meant for Me” and 
“My Blue Heaven.” Encore and 
begoff is his Italian lullaby “Viene 
Su.” Brace of throwaways gags 
could be dropped; Ravazza is way 
ahead as a singer. 

Dorothy Kramer and her dan¬ 
cers open and close the show. Bob 
Cross’ orch, per usual, neatly backs 
the show and keeps the floor filled 
at terp time. Bark. 


Reverly Hub, TV. Y. 

(FOLLOWUP) 

The Beverly Club has had a 
siege of prosperity with the book¬ 
ing of Bobby Short. Coast import 
has not only been doing business, 
but has been attracting a chichi 
and well-heeled crowd to a room 
that didn’t seem to have too much 
direction. After more than two 
months of operation with the Ne¬ 
gro singer headlining, the spot has 
now provided him with an, alter¬ 
nating entertainer, Gypsy Markoff, 
who’s in for a short run. 

Miss Markoff, one of the sur¬ 
vivors of the famed Lisbon Clipper 
crash which also incapacitated Jane 
Froman, has, since her previous 
N. Y. showcasing, improved the 
ability to move her fingers. She 
has overcome a considerable handi¬ 
cap and her accordionisting has 
consequently taken on a great deal 
more solidity. 

Miss Markoff’s major strength 
lies in her manipulation of the 
windjammer. She gets a great deal 
of melody and rhythm out of the 
instrument. She Vocalizes in a 
utilitarian manner, and has a spe¬ 
cial material tune, a Muscovy trav¬ 
elog, that gets over well. 

Another strong element in this 
room is Ravella Hughes, who does 
a musicianly turn at the electric 
I organ. Jose. 


Crescendo, Hollywood 

Hollywood, March 30. 
Billy Eckstine, Dick West, Rubin 
Leon Orch (6); Cover, $1.50. 


For his last U.S, date before 
embarking on a sixmonth tour of 
Europe, Billy Eckstine is showcas¬ 
ing a new act at the Crescendo. 
It’s a smash. 

This time, Eckstine is more of 
an .all-around entertainer lhah 
merely a singer. He’s still belting 
out the pops and standards in' a 
voice that rates with the best, but 
lie’s added a touch of softshoe 
dancing, some trumpet licks and 
some excellent impressions to the 
turn. The result is a constantly 
building, 45-minute stint that 
earns a begoff. 

Vocally, Eckstine has never been 
in better form. He’s modified the 
onetime note-bending effect that 
has been widely imitated to deliver 
a straighter song, and he does it 
excellently. Turn is skillfully paced 
to run the gamut from ballad to 
bounce and includes standards like 
“I Concentrate on You” and such 
pop tunes as “Bitter with the 
Sweet,’ his newest disking. 

It’s pure songology for better 
than 30 minutes before he pulls 
the switch with a softshoe turn 
themed to the old days of vaude 
and then dips into an impression¬ 
ist repertoire that includes Vaughn 
Monroe. Perry Como, Sammy 
Davis Jr. and Louis Armstrong. 
Latter bit pulls him into the horn 
business for salvos and the im¬ 
pressions themselves are topnotch 
carbonings.- 

Eckstine’s longtime piano ac¬ 
companist Bobby Tucker and 
drummer Sid Bulkin augment the 
six-piece Rubin Leon orchestra 
for the show. Opening act is Dick 
West, a personable young comic 
whose material is weak even for 
his short seven minutes. Best .of 
his efforts are carbonings top 
stars whose gestures recall to him 
such antics as dialing a telephone 
(Edward G. Robinson) or a mix- 
master (Bette Davis). It earns 
attention. Kap. 


Monte Larflo, Miami R. 

Miami Beach, March 23. 
Jackie Miles, Judy Lynn, Leon¬ 
ard Young, Martin & Maio, Ben 
Novack Orch; $3.50 minimum. 


This is third time around for 
Jackie Miles in the Roulette Room 
I of this uptown oceanfronter and 
j lie’s bringing in heavy patronage 
again, proving his potent draw 
values in this resort. There have 
been several other acts played by 
cafes on quick return basis this 
season, but only Myron Cohen (at 
the Sans Souci) held up as well.- 

Miles comedies are concerned, 
per usual, with race-track, hotel 
and garment center characters and 
their spouses. His underplayed^ 
delivery is geared' to the shadings 
required to spark the yocks while 
delineating the little-guy who gets 
kicked around, the flashy femmes 
and his big shot character—a re¬ 
cent addition to his stable of 1am- 
poonings. 

Judy Lynn is a lissome thrush ’ 
with a smart wardrobe and well 
rounded book of tunes. The bru¬ 
nette looker sets up a deftly round¬ 
ed series of pops and standards 
arranged to highlight her smooth 
delivery and -full-throated vocal 
talents. Teeoff is “Delightful, De- 
lovely, Delicious,” and leads into 
the collection of standouts,” “Lover 
Come Back To Me,” “Occasional 
Man” and “Funny Valentine,” to 
wind her into plus plateau. 

Lary. 


Clnli fr^sfifindo, Houston 

Houston, March 20. 
Terry Haven (ioith Ernie Held), 
Jose Ortiz Orch (4). 


Canary comic Terry Haven, in a 
two-week stand here, has them 
mitting for more at the end of a 
strrfng 45 minutes. Personable gal, 
who resembles Martha Raye, 
builds her act around three sets of 
imitations—^her lookalike, Sophie 
Tucker, Marilyn Monroe—and two 
original numbers written for her 
by her accompanist and husband, 
Ernie Held. Of the three imita¬ 
tions, the one of Miss Tucker 
socks the audience the hardest. 
Ga.l has the mincing walk and 
talk of the last of the “red hots” 
down perfectly and she gleans 
yock after yock from the full 
house. 

She closes her act with the sec¬ 
ond bit penned by Held. This is 
“Saturday Afternoon,” a strong 
begoff bit in which gal tells of her 
start in show business as an 
usherette in a neighborhood house 
and her climb to heights as one 
of the “finest” of the Radio City 
Music Hall. Reference to New 
York theatres (Roxy, Loew’s State 
and Music Hall) is no stumbling 
block. House is cosmopolitan 
enough to have either heard or 
been in these places. Ortiz’/group. < 
backs in fine fashion. Fora, 



56 


LEGITIMATE 


PfiRIETY 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Shows Abroad 


A Likely Tal©' 

London, March 24. 

H. M, Tenncnt & Robert Morley Pro¬ 
ductions presentation of a comedy m 
three acts (four scenes), by Gerald 
Savory. Staged by Peter Ashmore; decor. 
Motley. Stars Margaret Rutherford, Rob¬ 
ert Morley. At Globe Theatre, London, 
March 22, '56; $2.20 top. _ , ^ , 

Oswald Petersham.Robert Morley 

Lola Petersham Violet Farebrother 

Mirabelle Petersham x „ .. . . 

Margaret Rutherford 

Ursula Budgcon . , Judy Parfitt 

Gregory Lupton... Richard Pearson 

Jonah Petersham . Robert Morley 

■/ The tendency of British com¬ 
edies to taper off after a promising 
beginning is exemplified in “A 
Likely Tale." This Gerald Savory 

E lay has a hilarious opening act, 
ut disintegrates long before the 
final curtain. It should get by 
mainly on its marquee stature, as 
both Robert Morley and Margaret 
Rutherford have strong name 
value. Morley doubles in father- 
son roles. 

Savory, whose “George and Mar¬ 
garet" was a major success here in 
1937-39 and who recently returned 
after a long stay in the U. S., ex¬ 
pertly establishes the comic situa¬ 
tion in “Likely Tale." The at¬ 
mosphere is neatly suggested and 
the characters carefully drawn. 

A widower and two spinster sis¬ 
ters, played by Robert Morley, 
Margaret Rutherford and Violet 
Farebrother, have already arranged 
to divide the fortune, of their fa¬ 
ther, who lies dying upstairs. Mor¬ 
ley will get the vintage port, Miss 
Farebrother the family china and 
Miss Rutherford the collection of 
portraits. 

They’re a trio of eccentrics. Mor¬ 
ley has a son, a sort of adult juve¬ 
nile delinquent. The expectant 
trio get their first shock when-the 
old man reveals he’s cutting them 
out of the will and leaving all his 
wealth tp a home for aged horses. 

Then he indicates that the money 
Is earmarked for the family’s 
cheerful and attractive domestic. 
At this point Morley, as the son, 
makes a play for the servant, but 
bows out in favor of a china ap¬ 
praiser when he discovers there 
are more debts than assets. 

If only the bubbling dialog and 
the boisterous situations of the 
first act had been maintained, this 
might have been one of the best 
comedies in recent years. It begins 
to fall apart, however, all too soon. 
While Morley impresses in his 
main characterization as the heir 
to a cellar full of port, he’s too 
boisterous and outrageous in the 
role of his own son. A- patch over 
one eye and a blonde wig are in¬ 
adequate disguises. 

Miss Rutherford’s eccentricities 
lose their charm by the sheer 
force of repetition, and Miss Fare- 
brother. as the stern elder sister, 
is out of character with the others. 

Judy Parfitt is a pert and attrac¬ 
tive domestic, but too much of her 
dialog belies the suggestion that 
she’s illiterate. Richard Pearson 
gives a pleasantly restrained per¬ 
formance as the appraiser of the 
family china and the scene in 
which he’s invited to tea—but 
never gets any—is one of the com¬ 
edy highspots. 

Peter Ashmore sets a good com¬ 
edy pace in his staging, but that, 
too, falls victim to the inadequa¬ 
cies of the piece. Motley’s 'single 
setting, replete with a collection of 
Victorian knick-knacks, is visually 
attractive. Myro, 


The Devil’s Disciple 

_ T , Glasgpw, March 20. 

H. M. Tennent, Ltd. revival of comedy 
in three acts, by Bernard Shaw. Staged 
by Noel Willman; decor, Anthony Hol¬ 
land. Stars Tyrone Power. At King's 
Theatre, Glasgow. March 19. '56; $1.20 
top. 

Mrs. Dudgeon ... Joan MacAtthur 

Essie . Dorothy Bromiltey 

Christy . .. . James Bree 

Anthony Anderson ....... David Langton 

Judith Anderson . Clare Austin 

Lawyer Hawkins .Peter Collingwood 

Wrlliam Dudgeon . John Scott 

Mrs. William Dudgeon.Betty Turner 

Mr. Titus Dudgeon.John Gill 

Mrs. Titus Dudgeon.Nancy Nevinson 

Richard Dudgeon . Tyrone Power 

Sergeant . John Gray 

Maj. Swindon . Lockwood West 

£ €n - T PH r *°y , } e . Noel Willman 

M^Brtidenell . Stringer Davis 

„ Officers, Soldiers and Townspeople: 
William Lyon Brown, Robert Cheoksfield. 
Peter Van Greenaway, Patrick Maynard, 
Morris Perry, Julian Sherrler, Alastair 
Speed, Jacqueline Squire. 


Tyrone Power has made a wise 
choice with this 60-year-old Shaw 
comedy. Center role of Dick 
Dudgeon, atheist and scoundrel 
fits his dashing swashbuckling per¬ 
sonality, and the three-acter also 
has more action than most other 
Shaw works. 

H. M. Tennent, Ltd., leading 
London legit firm, revives it in con¬ 
nection with the approaching cen¬ 
tenary of Shaw’s birth. Acting is 
sound, decor of New Hamphshire 
always tasteful, and Noel Willman. 
who doubles in the key role of Gen. 
Burgoyne, has directed with a brisk 
pace. 

Old-fashioned though the drama 
is in content, it comes surprisingly 
to life and succeeds in holding 


modern audience throughout. Plot 
of a rascally type who puts him¬ 
self to the gallows in place of the 
New Hampshire parson (who has 
such a pretty young wife) retains 
an intriguing quality. 

Power’s study of Dick Dudgeon, 
turning verbally on his narrow- 
minded relatives, exchanging 
lively talk with an Army council, 
or taking an uneasy tea alone with 
the minister’s wife, is always full 
of vigor. 

Younger generation of playgoers, 
drawn maybe Power’s screen name, 
will not be disappointed as the 
star has romantic fire and physical 
vitality. Oldsters will appreciate 
his acting of the famous role, 
David Langton offers a com¬ 
mendable portrayal of the good¬ 
living New Hampshire parson, 
trusting his attractive wife implic¬ 
itly to the visiting “bad man” and 
turning with lusty courage on the 
English soldiers as Dudgeon’s head 
swings into the gallows. Clare 
Austin’s young wife has moving 
tenderness and beauty, and her 
clarity of diction is noteworthy. - 
Among smaller parts, James 
Bree offers a standout portrayal of 
the oafish brother, and John Gray 
is properly obsequious and cring¬ 
ing as the British sergeant. 

Willman has the best Shavian 
lines -as the amusingly cynical Gen. 
Burgoyne, and he also clicks a di¬ 
rector. Joan MacArthur is a bit¬ 
ter Mrs. Dudgeon. Dorthy Brom- 
iley arouses sympathy as the il¬ 
legitimate child Essie. Gord. 

Love Allair 

Edinburgh, March 17. 
Henry Sherek production of comedy in 
three acts, by Dulcie Gray. Staged by 
Michael Denison; setting, Norman Smith; 
production assistance and advice, Wehdy 
Toye. Stars Michael Denison, Miss Gray, 
Sylvia Syms. At Lyceum Theatre, Edin¬ 
burgh. March 12, '56; $1.20 top. 

Julie Fayne . Sylvia Syms 

Marion Field . Dulcie Gray 

Philip Grant . Michael Denison 

Mrs. ChUlingworth.Nora Nicholson 

Spencer i Benton . James Grout 

Rosemary de Villlers .• Mary Law 

.Tim Somervell . Mervyn Blake 

Monsieur Hero . Brian Oulton 

Rupert Bliss . •••••• Ia T n H r o1 ™ 

Boy ... William Lawford 

Girl . Joy Garbett 

English stage and film actress 
Dulcie Gray has written this un¬ 
satisfactory comedy about an illicit 
love affair in a London art acade¬ 
my. Its prospects seem faint. 

Although good in characteriza¬ 
tion, the play rarely becomes ab¬ 
sorbing and meanders along on an 
aimless note. Several lengthy 
speeches have a quota of sparkle, 
but tend to slow the action. Entire 
effect seems diffuse. 

Story, such as it is, takes place 
in the life-room of Monsieur Hero’s 
Academy of Painting in Pimlico, 
London, during summer and fall 
terms. Miss Gray plays a married 
girl whose husband is said to be 
^abroad, and who falls in love with 
a fellow-student, played by her 
real-life husband, Michael Denison. 

He is a philosophizing philander¬ 
er, conscious of his attraction for 
women. She, knowing it to be 
wrong, fights against her love for 
him, but doesn’t succeed. 

Best acting is by Brian Oulton 
as an amusing and talkative artist- 
philosopher, the French “maitre" 
of the art school. Nora Nicholson 
clicks as a faded femme striving to 
leam painting, and Ian Holm is 
brisk as an amusing Cockney 
model. Sylvia Sims, English film 
starlet, shows promise as an im¬ 
pressionable young student. Gord. 

Touring Shows 

(April 2-15) . 

Anastasia (Vlveca Llndfors, Eugene 
Leontovieh)—Hartman, Columbus (11-14). 

Bad Seed (Nancy Kelly)—Curran, S. F. 
C2-7); Capitol. Salt Lake City (10-11); 
Tabor, Denver (13-14), 

Boy Friend—Shubert. Det. (2-7); Victory, 
Dayton (9-14). 

Bus Stop (2d Co.)—Aud., Allentown. Pa. 
(2-3); Playhouse, Wilmington (4-7); Erlan- 
ger, Buffalo (9-12); Aud., Rochester (13- 
14). 

Can-Can—Royal Alexandra. Toronto (2- 
14). 

Damn Yankees (2d Co.) (Bobby Clark)— 
Aud., Rochester (2-7); Hanna, Cleve. (9- 
14). 

Inherit the Wind (2d Co.) (Melvyn 
Douglas)—Blabkstone. Chi (2-14). 

Lovers (tryout)—Cass, Det. (2-14) (Re¬ 
viewed in VARIETY this week). 

Most Hippy Fella (tryout) — Shubert, 
Boston 12-7); Shubert, PhUly (10-14) (Re¬ 
viewed in VARIETY. March 21, '56). 

Pajama Game (2d Co.) (Fran Warren, 
L?rry Douglas, Buster West)—Shubert, 
Chi (2-14). 

Plain and Fancy—National, Wash. (3-14). 
Strip for Action (tryout) — Shubert, 
Pliilly (2-7); Nixon, Pitt (9-14) (Reviewed 
in VARIETY, March 21. '56). 

Tea and Sympathy (Maria Riva, Alan 
Baxter)—Aud., Columbia. S. C. (2-3); Aud., 
Charlotte (4); Aud., Raleigh (5); Aud., 
Norfolk (6-7); WRVA. Richmond (9-11); 
Playhouse, Wilmington (12-14). 

Teahouse of the August Moon (1st Co.) 
(Eli Wallach, Gene Blakely)— Colonial, 
Boston (2-14). 

Teahouse of the August Moon (2d -Co.) 
(Burgess Meredith, Hugh Reilly)—Erlan- 
ger, Chi (2-14) (Eddie Bracken replaces 
Meredith next Monday (9). 

Teahouse of the August Moon (3d Co.) 
Aud., Tulsa (3-4); Municipal Aud., Okla. 
City (5-7); Municipal Aud., Memphis (9-12); 
Aud., Little Rock (13-14). 

Wake Up Darling (tryout) (Barry Nel¬ 
son, Barbara Britton, Russell Nype)— 
Shubert, New Haven (11-14), 


Show on Broadway 


Mister Johnson 

Cheryl Crawford & Robert Lewis pro¬ 
duction of drama in three acts, by Nor¬ 
man Rosten, based on the novel by Joyce 
Cary. Staged by Lewis; scenery, cos¬ 

tumes and lighting, William and Jean 
Eokart. Features Earle Hyman, William 
Sylvester, Gaby Rodgers, Josephine Prem¬ 
ice. At Martin Beck Theatre, N. Y., 
March 29, '56; $4.60 top weeknights, 
$5.75 Frlday-Saturday nights ..$6.90 open¬ 
ing). 

Mister Johnson. Earle Hyman 

Bamu...Josephine Premice 

Bamu’s Brother.James E. Wall 

A jail .Broc Peters 

Benjamin.John Alcar 

Matumbi .Resetta Le Noire 

Gollup .*.Thayer David 

Bulteel ..Lawrence Fletcher 

Adamu .Charles McRae 

Audu . Ral Saunders 

Moma .Earl Jones 

Rudbcck. William Sylvester 

Brlmah .Milton J. Williams 

2 d Brother.La Verne French 

Uncle .. David Berahzer 

Girl .Margie James 

Mother . Ruth Attaway 

Policeman .....Clayton Corbin 

Saleh .Philip Hepburn 

Wazirl . Jay Riley 

Isa . Harold Nurse 

Celia .Gaby Rodgers 

Chief .Percival Borde 

Petitioner . Curtis James 

Guards: Samuel Phills, Geffrey Biddeau, 

Alphonse Cimber. 

Others: Louise Gilkes, Esther Liburd, 
Pearl Reynolds, Mary Walthe. 


It’s easy to admire and respect 
“Mister Johnson," but difficult to 
be entertained by it. The drama, 
adapted by Norman Rosten from 
a novel by Joyce Cary, seems 
sketchy and elusive, so the good 
taste, generous resource and con¬ 
siderable talent that have gone 
into it fail to bring it to theatrical 
life. 

Since the yarn is the sort of off¬ 
beat material that requires perfect 
treatment, plus perhaps a special 
shock gimmick, to draw a popular 
following, this Cheryl,Crawford & 
Robert Lewis production appears 
dubious boxoffice. Also, it's a 
negligible prospect for films or 
television. 

As a guess, say ^that “Mister 
Johnson" is the story of a beauti¬ 
ful friendship between the races. 
There are also overtones of the 
tragic impact of the white man’s 
civilization on an innocent African 
native, and possibly a suggestion 
that the primitive savage may pos¬ 
sess powers and wisdom lost by 
the sophisticated European. 

In this case, the eager, uncom¬ 
prehending native boy accomplish¬ 
es a road-building job beyond the 
ability of his white masters. But 
because the complexities of the 
white- man’s ethics and law are be¬ 
yond him, he is tossed aside and, 
when he imevitably runs afoul of 
his masters’ code, he must be ex¬ 
ecuted. 

It is a compassionate story, but 
somehow doesn't quite achieve 
emotional compulsion. Occasional 
scenes are moderately touching 
and at least one has a revealing 
sort of wistful humor, but the 
drama lacks consistent progres¬ 
sion and even the pitiful final mo¬ 
ment is just a little flat. 

Under Lewis’ expressive direc¬ 
tion, there are some lovely per¬ 
formances. Earle Hyman gives a 
glowing, remarkably varied per¬ 
formance as the native boy, mak¬ 
ing lightning transitions from ab¬ 
ject hopelessness to wildest opti¬ 
mism and from misery to ecstsfey. 
He is superb in a long and com¬ 
plex role. 

It’s probably pertinent to com¬ 
ment, at this point, that having 
demonstrated unusual talent and 
versatility as an ac.tor, Hyman 
will probably be limited to the 
typical small parts, such as serv¬ 
ants, errand boys and the like, 
that are habitually available to Ne¬ 
gro actors. That’s standard in the 
white man’s theatre of Broadway, 
where a succession of fine Negro 
talents have been largely wasted 
for lack of opportunity. 

There is a nice performance by 
Josephine Premice as a native 
wife who knows how to extract the 
limit of payment from her hus¬ 
band for her family, but ultimate¬ 
ly shows true devotion. William 
Sylvester gives a moving portrayal 
of the white man who reaches an 
instinctive understanding with the 
native boy, and who finally shoots 
him to spare him the prolonged 
agony of execution by hanging. 

Gaby Rodgers turns in deft, di¬ 
mensional miniature of a giddy 
British wife who finds an unex¬ 
pected bond of sympathy with a 
native woman, and there are nota¬ 
ble supporting performances by 
Lawrence Fletcher as a literal¬ 
minded supervisor in the British 
colonial service, David Thayer as a 
crotchety white trader and John 
Akar as an educated native. 

Lewis’ direction is given consid¬ 
erable extra depth and color by 
the vivid choreography of Pearl 
Primus, and William and Jean 
Eckart have designed an elaborate 
Scenic arrangement of moving 
platforms, panels and drops, plus 
1 striking costumes. ■ Kobe. 


Inside Stuff Legit 

Winners of the 10th annual American Theatre Wing Tony Awards, 
presented last Sunday (1) at the Hotel Plaza, N. Y„ included “Diary of 
Anne Frank” and “Damn Yankees" as the outstanding dramatic play 
and musical, respectively; Paul Muni (“Inherit the Wind") and 
Julie Harris (“The Lark") for starring performances in dramatic 
plays; Ray Walston and Gwen Verdon (“Yankees") for musical star¬ 
ring performances; Ed Begley (“Wind") and Una Merkel (“Ponder 
Heart") for featured performances in dramatic plays; Russ Brown 
(“Yankees") and Lotte Lenya (“Threepenny Opera”) for featured mu¬ 
sical performances; Peter Larkin (“Wind"), scenic designer; Alvin Colt 
(“Pipe Dream"), costume designer; Tyrone Guthrie (“Matchmaker"), 
director; Robert Fosse (“Yankees"), choreographer; Harry Green 
(“Middle of the Night"), stage technician; and Hal Hastings (“Yankees"), 
musical director. There were also special awards for “Threepenny" 
as a distinguished off-Broadway production, and the N. Y. Public 
Library’s Theatre Collection in recognition of its 25th anniversary. 


Shows Out of Town 


The Lovers 

Detroit, April 2. 

Playwrights Co. & Gayle Stine produc¬ 
tion of drama in three acts (seven scenes), 
by Leslie Stevens. Staged by Michael 
Gordon; setting and lighting, Charles 
Elson; costumes. John Boyt. Features 
Darren McGavln, Hurd Hatfield, Joanne 
Woodward,, Morris Carnovsky, Vivian 
Nathan, Mario Alcade. At Cass Theatre, 

Detroit, April 2. '56. „ 

Grigoris ..Hurd Hatfield 

Clothllde . • Vivian Nathan 

Sextus . Earl Montgomery 

Xegan . Norman Rose 

Mattiew . t . Ray Rizzo 

Simon . Martin Brooks 

Vole Stunner . William Bramley 

Marc . Mario Alcade 

Douane . Joanne Woodward 

Chrysagon de la Crux.. .Darren McGavln 

Blaise . Gerald Hiken 

Draco de la Crux . Robert Burr 

Austrict de la Crux.Pernell Roberts 

Ilerstal de la Crux.Robert Lansing 

Probus . Morris Carnovsky 

Saul . Gayne Sullivan 

Tomas . George Ebellng 

Lisanne ...» Kathe Snyder 

Mairese . Frances Chaney 

Ironsmith .George Tyne 

Millwright . George Berkeley 

Tanner . Harry Bergman 

Escavalon . . Lester Rawlins 

Clement of Metz ..Donald McKee 

Stewards .... Byron MitchelL Kurt Cerf 
Friars Edward Setrakian. Robert Jacquin 
Knights Escavalon. Robert Dowdell, John 
Carter, Grant Eastham. John McKay 
People of St. Omer Florl Warren, Lena 
Romano, Patricia Allaben. Peggy 
Richards, Eda Reiss Merln, Page 
Johnson, Norman Wlgotow 


Although this new play by Les¬ 
lie Stevens is described as a drama 
of primative sexuality and ruth¬ 
less power, the lethargic per¬ 
formance it gets in. its breakin 
here is peculiarly lacking in strong 
emotions. Instead, it takes a phil¬ 
osophical—religious turn which 
meanders to a foregone conclusion. 

As it stands, the Playwrights Co. 
and Gayle Stine, co-producers, have 
a major job in infusing heat and 
passion into the play to give it/ 
enough force and conviction for 
Broadway. It runs a not unreason¬ 
able two hours and 40 minutes, 
with two intermissions, as of to¬ 
night’s premiere before a near¬ 
capacity audience at the Cass. 

Cuts here and there do not ap¬ 
pear to- be the whole ''answer. 
Without stronger lines and. action, 
“Lovers" will continue to drag and 
to promise more than it delivers. 

The plot, concerning the medi¬ 
eval law of “jus prima noctis" (the 
right of a lord to take a peasant 
bride from her husband on her 
wedding night and return her the 
next day) could be adapted potently 
for pictures. Stevens traces it by 
means of flashbacks, with a monk, 
played superbly by Hurd Hatfield, 
serving as a cohesive agent. 

The monk is almost immediately 
shown the bodies of the lord, the 
plowman-husband and the bride, 
and is told that the men killed 
each other upon finding the bride a 
suicide. It is strongly indicated 
that this is not simply a case of lust 
caught in a triangle. 

The rest of the play is devoted 
to recreating scenes so the monk 
will understand the trio did not die 
under a cloud of mortal sin, the 
purpose being to have them 
blessed and buried in sacred 
ground. It is apparent from the 
beginning that this will be the 
conclusion, although it takes in¬ 
terminable time to arrive. 

The flashbacks are technical 
gems because, of the excellent set¬ 
ting and lighting of Charles El¬ 
son. The single setting consists of 
tiers of seven steps or levels to the 
left and right, with an incline in 
center stage leading to a rear en¬ 
trance. 

Various types or skies are proj¬ 
ected on the backdrop, and scenes 
are changed by shifting spots, with 
entrances and exits made while one 
section of stage is blacked out. 
Colorfully appropriate costumes by 
John Boyt add to this effective 
treatment. 

Aside from Hatfield’s perfor¬ 
mance, the playing seems either 
perfunctury or strangely out of 
character. For example, Joanne 
Woodward, as an innocent maiden, 
bantered in a sophisticated man¬ 
ner when she is discovered by a 
war lord while bathing in the 
nude. Throughout the play Miss 
Woodward gives the impression of 
being engaged in a lark, instead of 
being the pivot for tragedy. 
Darren' McGaviii, as ^he'.sup¬ 


posedly lustful, ruthless lord, is 
apologetic to the point of tears. 
Mario Alcalde is more the obedi¬ 
ent servant than the avenging 
plowman-husband. Most of the 
cast of 40 are similarly unconvinc¬ 
ing. 

Director Michael Gordon must 
share some of the blame for the 
strange' lack of emotion about 
what the characters keep saying is 
a very emotional subject. But the 
basic, fault must be the author’s 
failure to breathe fire into lines 
which do not have the saving grace 
of being poetic or philosophical. 

Tew . 


Sing, Man, Sing 

Cleveland, April 2. 

Jay Richard Kennedy production of 
revue in two parts. Continuity and stag¬ 
ing, Kennedy; original lyrics, Harry Bela¬ 
fonte, Kennedy, Irving Burgess, William 
Attaway; music. Will Lorin, Burgess; 
mfcsical direction, Lorin; lighting, Phil 
Stein. At Hanna Theatre, Cleveland, 
April 2, '56. 

Cast: Belafonte, Michael Evans, Mar¬ 
garet Tynes, Alvin Alley, Mary Hinkson, 
chorus. 


Harry Belafonte’s lively and 
dramatic singing holds up more 
impressively than the rest of his 
new offbeat legit show, “Sing, 
Man, Sing," 'getting a one-week 
. break-in at the Hanna Theatre 
here. 

Although called a musical 
drama by producer Jay Richard 
Kennedy, this whatsit is just a 
fairly beguiling porridge of folksy 
song and dance diversion, with 
vivid lighting effects and thin con¬ 
tinuity line. Michael Evans does 
a so-so job as narrator trying to 
link the numbers. They supposed¬ 
ly trace the evolution of man from 
the Garden of Eden to modern 
times, but .Kennedy’s sketchy book 
seems naive and limp. 

Whenever Belafonte digs his 
teeth into a gusty spiritual nr 
calypso ditty, backed by the lusty- 
voiced chorus, the revue takes on 
engaging though brief buoyancy. 
It sags terribly in the sluggish 
first act, which goes overboard in 
preciously arty effects. Instead of 
scenery, the show uses simple plat¬ 
forms, colorful lighting tricks and 
scrims, with the dancers usually 
silhouetted against them. 

It smacks a bit of little theatre, 
although Kennedy strives for the 
dramatic impact of last year’s 
“Three for Tonight," which co¬ 
featured Belafonte. Running now 
about 10(1 minutes, the show may 
acquire more variety and fire 
when four scheduled new numbers 
are added. 

The star gets in Jhis finest vocal 
licks in “Man Smart" and “Wed¬ 
ding Song," done with rollicking 
tropical atmosphere. The choreog¬ 
raphy by the racially mixed troupe 
is also striking in the singer's ex¬ 
cellent 1 dramatizations of “Flood," 
“Hosanna,” andTthe simple “Blues 
Is Man." They hold more atten¬ 
tion than the absurd affectations 
of “Creation" and “Birth of He." 

Margaret Tynes adds a pleasant 
lyric voice to Belafonte’s numbers 
as the hodgepodge action segues 
to “I Found Me," a rather heavy 
closer with good theme of racial 
brotherhood. She gets her own 
innings in the semi-recitative “I 
Don't Give a Damn if It's Sin¬ 
ning." Mary Hinkinson and Alvin. 
Ailey are - exceptionally graceful, 
vigorous - dancers despite all the 
silhouetted posturings. 

“Sing, Man, Sing" goes next 
week to the Shubert, Detroit, then 
into six weeks of split-weeks and 
one-niters, including the Academy 
of Music, Erooklyn, April 23, 24 
and 29. After a two-week stand in 
Chicago, the troupe takes a four- 
week vacation duung Belafonte’s 
soio run at the Waldorf-Astoria, 
N. Y. Company is set for two 
weeks this summer at the . Greek 
Theatre, Hollywood, and is slated 
for Broadway in the late autumn. 

Pull 

Fred Kramer has bqen elected 
business agent for the Chi box- 
office union, vice the late George 
Rochford. , 













































































Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


PSriety 


LEGITIMATE 


57 


‘Anniversary Waltz—Frisco Phenom 


FielcU-Chodorov Comedy, Cracking Local Records 
Takes Alcazar Out of Red 


By BILL STEIF 

San Francisco, April 3. - 
The current theatrical phenome¬ 
non of San Francisco is a feather¬ 
weight comedy with middle-brow 
taste and a low breakeven point. 
This is the curiously-named “An¬ 
niversary Waltz,” which sashayed 
into its 21st week at the Alcazar 
Theatre here last night (Mon;) 
with no signs of letup. 

A run of such duration appar¬ 
ently breaks the all-time record at 
the new Alcazar—that is, it was 
new in 1911. The old record, set 
by “Topsy and Eva” in the early 
1920’s, was 18 weeks. The current 
run also breaks a 30-year-old mark 
set by “Love 'Em and Leave ’Em” 
at the President (now a burlesque 
house) and leaves only the 26- 
week runs of “Nice People” (at the 
President) and “White Cargo” (at 
the long-vanished Capitol) to shoot 


Mark Marvin Goes Solo 
As West End Producer 

London, April 3. 

Former Broadway producer Mark 
Marvin makes his bow in solo man¬ 
agement tomorrow (Wed.) when 
he presents “The Good Sailor” at 
the Lyric Theatre, Hammersmith. 
The production, originally staged 
on Broadway in 1951, has an all 
male cast, with leading roles being 
filled by Andre Morell, Leo Mc¬ 
Kern, Aubrey Dexter, Norman 
Macown and Kynastbn Reeves. 

Marvin’s second production, “The 
Silver Whistle,” in which Peter 
Cushing will fill the role originally 
created in New York by Jose Fer¬ 
rer, ife due to go into immediate 
rehearsal. It will open out of town 
at the end of the month and is 
due in the West End after a four 
weeks’ tryout tour. 


The theatrical statistics of three 
to four decades ago have naturally 
become a little fuzzy. Hundreds 
of subsequent pressagents have 
founded new schools df hyperbole 
which have tended to obscure the 
basic facts. 

What’s certain is that what 
started put last November to be 
another flop for producer Ran¬ 
dolph Hale has turned into a sort 
of annuity, and Frisco’s legitimate 
scene has been given a hefty hypo. 
Hale himself is still a trifle in¬ 
credulous. 

The producer says, “We had 
very little advance for ‘Waltz.’ It 
was an act of faith, in a way, to 
keep going. It took about six 
weeks for the word-of-mouth to 
get around, and they were pretty 
terrible weeks.” 

What hurt, particularly, was 
that northern California at the 
time was in the grip of a series of 
bad floods which washed plenty of 
business out of the boxoffice. 

Between Christmas and New 
Year’s the play suddenly caught 
on and, says Hale, “we started re¬ 
couping from the first weeks.” The 
result is that “Anniversary Waltz” 
has come within an eyelash of 
averaging $15,000 a week, after 
(Continued on page 59) 


Berlin-Behrman Huddle 
On New Mizner Tuner; 
Will Use "Ragtime Band’ 

Irving Berlin and S. N. Behr- 
man - are huddlftig on their new 
legit musical before the latter 
heads for Europe with Otto Pre¬ 
minger, who is U. S. delegate to 
the Cannes Film Festival. Behr- 
man and Preminger have a joint 
picture venture, which will take 
the playwright-scenarist abroad 
for a spell, hence Berlin’s quickie 
trip from Palm Beach where 
he has been vacationing and work¬ 
ing on the songs. The show will 
ke produced by Max Gordon. 

Berlin has about 75% of the 
score done. There will be 13 new 
tunes and only one oldie, a “situa¬ 
tion” song in the 1910-1911 period 
of the new musical, when the 
femme lead, preferably Mary Mar¬ 
tin, will sing the latest pop hit 
of the time, “Alexander’s Ragtime 
Band,” as part of the action. 

Book is based on (the late) Alva 
John’s “The Legendary Mizners” 
but has no title thus far. Although 
the show is being readied for Miss 
Martin as femme star, the casting 
of the Wilson Mizner role is in¬ 
definite. 

Berlin’s “A Pretty Girl Is Like A 
Melody” will be in Richard Koll- 
mar & James W. Gardiner’s up¬ 
coming “Ziegfeld Follies” at Koll- 
niar’s request. The fcomposer said 
he would prefer not to write any 
how song for the revue, but sug- 
that Kollmar could have 

GnT” cuffo or “for the minimum 
legal consideration of $1.” That 
was OK, but later Kollmar was In¬ 
formed that the Authors’ Guild felt 
Berlin should not “donate.” As'a 
consequence, whatever is the fee 
will be paid by Kollmar to Mrs. 
Billie Burke Ziegfeld, airing with 
her percentage, since she And J. J. 
onubert are partnered in the 
rights to the “Ziegfeld Follies” 
tag, for which the Kollmar 8c Gar¬ 
diner will pay a weekly royalty. 


Push Mass. Bill 
To Bar Theatre 
Ban of Critics 

Boston, April 3. 

Public hearings will open Thurs¬ 
day /5) on a proposed state law to 
prohibit discrimination by legit 
theatres against newspapers be¬ 
cause of unfavorable reviews. The 
measure has already been approved 
by both the House and Senate 
rules committees, and referred to 
the legislative committee on mer¬ 
cantile affairs. The latter is hold¬ 
ing the public hearings. 

Sponsor of the bill, State Sen. 
Mario Umana of East Boston, says 
the measure was inspired by the 
recent conflict between the Boston 
Post - and the .Shubert theatrical 
interests over a review and column 
written by Elliot Norton, Post 
drama critic. (Norton was dropped 
from the press list and subse¬ 
quently reinstated by J. J. Shu¬ 
bert, head of the Shubert firm.) 

The measure provides that “no 
owner or operator of any theatre 
within the Commonwealth shall he 
permitted to discriminate against 
any drama. Critic or against any 
duly recognized newspaper be¬ 
cause of any criticism, expression 
of opinion or other honest report¬ 
ing concerning any play, drama or 
stage production by such critic or 
newspaper.” 

Violation would result in the sus¬ 
pension of the license of the of¬ 
fending theatre for a period up to 
six months. “This would mean 
drastic punishment for any thea¬ 
tre owner or operator who at¬ 
tempts to break down the free¬ 
dom of the press or to discrimi¬ 
nate against any newspaper or 
drama critic because of unfavor¬ 
able reviews,” Sen. Umana de¬ 
clares. He has indicated that he 
intends to appear personally be¬ 
fore the mercantile affairs com¬ 
mittee at the public hearing to 
explain in detail his reasons for 
proposing the bill. 

ALAN BADEL’S‘HAMLET’ 
AT BRITISH STRATFORD 

London, April 3. 

The new Stratford-on-Avon sea¬ 
son, the 97th, opens at the Shakes¬ 
peare Memorial Theatre next Tues¬ 
day (10) with their first'production 
of “Hamlet” in eight years. Alan 
Badel, who recently returned from 
Hollywood, will play the title role. 

The revival Is being staged by 
Michael Langham and the cast will 
include Harry Andrews, Diana 
Churchill and Dilys Hamlett. 

A week later the Memorial The¬ 
atre will present “Merchant of 
Venice,” with Emlyn Williams as 
Shylock and Margaret Johnston as 
Portia. Margaret Webster, is stag¬ 
ing the play, her first Shakespeare¬ 
an production in England. She has 
directed many Bard revivals on 
Broadway. 

Geraldine McEwan IS joining the 
Shakespeare company and her first 
role will be as the Princess of 
France in “Love’s Labour’s Lpst,” 
due to open later in the season. 


LA/s Turnabout Closes; 
Troupe to Play Frisco 

Los Angeles, April 3. 

Turnabout Theatre shuttered 
Saturday night (31) after 4,356 
performances as a combo puppet- 
and-live operation. It opened July 
10, 1941, The resident troupe 

opens May 15 in San Francisco. 

Elsa Lanchester, who dropped 
by one night to guest in the live 
revue, remained 12 years. Other 
names seen on Turnabout stage in¬ 
clude Gilda Gray, Virginia O’Brien 
and the*Duncan Sisters. 

Ed Sullivan Joins 
‘Wonderful’ Pitch 

Ed Sullivan seems to have joined 
the columnist-tv performer con¬ 
tingent doing a shill for “Mr. Won¬ 
derful,” new musical comedy at the 
Broadway Theatre, N. Y. The col¬ 
umnist-tele star devoted his en¬ 
tire piece in the N. Y. Daily News 
last Friday (30) to the show, al¬ 
though he noted that his opening 
night reaction agreed with the neg¬ 
ative opinion of the critics. 

After reporting that “Mr. Won¬ 
derful” is “packing them In” de¬ 
spite the critical pans, the colum¬ 
nist attributed the attendance to 
teenage trade. He then quoted the 
show’s lead Sammy Davis Jr., to the 
effect that “Wonderful” is a “big 
hit” arid that he is excited over its 
“success.” Davis also made several 
interesting revelations about the 
genesis of the musical. 

The young singer was quoted as 
saying, ‘The decision to insert my 
night club act was reached long in 
advance by Abe Lastfogel, George 
Woods, Jule Styne and Marty 
Jurow.” (Lastfogel, Woods and 
Jurow are with the. William Mor¬ 
ris agency; Styne is the show’s 
producer—Ed.) “They directed the 
writers, Joe Stein and Will Glick- 
man, to work out a thin story line 
which, in the second act, would 
give a legit reason to do a night 
club routine. 

“Then Abe, George, Jule and 
Marty called us in, the Will Mastin 
trio, and told us what the pitch 
would be. We said it sounded fine. 
We’d never had any experience 
with a big musical. Anything 
sounds fine to us so long as we 
keep working. It wasn’t alway beer 
and skittles for the three of us. 

“Then, after the bad notices in 
Philly, the Big Brass started to 
get worried and hedge. Two weeks 
before we were to open in New 
York it was proposed that we cut 
out the night club act bit. My 
uncle, Will Mastin, said that inas¬ 
much as we’d been playing the 
show as is, it might be terribly 
dangerous to try and revamp it 
overnight. That’s the only thing 
he ever said, so help me, because 
he’s not very talkative. 

“After the firstnight notices in 
New York, everybody backed away 
and everybody then looked for a 
goat. They picked Uncle Will Mas¬ 
tin as the one who had fouled 
everything up. Well, now that the 
show is a big hit; I think that 
everybody who backed away from 
it should establish Uncle Will as 
the hero. They picked him for 
abuse, so things should even out, 
huh?” 

“Mr. Wonderful” Is currently in 
its third week on Broadway. It 
grossed $58,000 last week against 
a potential capacity of approximate¬ 
ly $72,000. The show, which has 
about $240,000 to recoup, breaks 
even at around $35,000. It’s claimed 
to have about $400,000 advance sale 
(including 15% taxes). 


H’wood Las Palmas Sold 

Hollywood, April 3. 

The 400-seat Las Palmas The¬ 
atre has been acquired by William 
Swanson, former operator of the 
Beaux Arts Theatre here, for 
$40,000. He plans to operate it as 
a rental house and has no imme¬ 
diate plans for production on his 
own* 

. Deal was closed with Mrs. Olivia 
Pillsbury Hearfield, San Francisco 
heiress, who filed suit here last De¬ 
cember to be declared owner of 
the property. She contended she 
gave $75,000 to Theodore R. Joy 
in August, 1954, to buy the house 
for her, but he put the title in his 
own name. 


Tents Ruling Summer Stock Roost; 
They’re Growing, Grabbing Bookmgs 


Coast Studio to Legit 
As John Drew Theatre 

Hollywood, April 3. 

Another legit house is being 
prepped here. Former KTLA stu¬ 
dio, seating 252, has been pur¬ 
chased by Wayne Roberts and will 
be opened in May with “Big 
Knife,” by Clifford Odets. It will 
be renamed the John Drew Thea¬ 
tre. 

Roberts formerly operated the 
Hollywood Players Theatre, which 
burned a few weeks ago. “Knife” 
was in rehearsal at the theatre at 
the time. 


Report Shuberts 
Selling Herrick’s 
Agency, Boston 

It was reported in legit trade 
circles yesterday (Tues.) that the 
Shuberts lhave disposed of their in¬ 
terest in the Herrick theatre ticket 
agency, Boston. However, con¬ 
firmation was lacking at press 
time. 

According to accounts, the pur¬ 
chaser of the agency is Mrs. Helen 
Mirsky, widow of Harry Mirsky, a 
former road manager for the Shu¬ 
berts. Mrs. Mirsky is said to Tiave 
obtained financing - for the deal 
from a local bank in Boston, where 
she is a resident. She has recent¬ 
ly been manager of the agency. 

Under the consent agreement 
recently reached by the Shuberts 
and the Dept, of Justice, the for¬ 
mer are forbidden to* have any 
financial interest in any ticket 
agency. In the case of Herrick’s, 
the decree specifically requires 
the Shuberts to end the deal under 
which they leased office space for 
the agency for a percentage of the 
profits. 

It was recently charged in a 
speech in the Massachusetts state 
legislature, that the Shuberts “con¬ 
trolled” Herrick’s. 

Court Tosses Out Deal 
For Theatre-de Lys, N.Y.; 
‘Threepenny’ Unaffected 

Sale of a three-year sublease on 
the off-Broadway Theatre de Lys 
last year to Louis Schweitzer has 
been nullified by the Appellate Di¬ 
vision of the N. Y. Supreme Court. 
The ruling requires that Schweit¬ 
zer, who’s been operating the de 
Lys with his wife, Lucille Lortel, 
return the house to the prior les¬ 
see, Senior Estate, Ltd. 

The decision reverses an earlier 
okay of the sale by N. Y. Supreme 
Court Judge Henry Clay Green¬ 
berg. The action was instituted by 
legit pressagent Max Eisen, who 
owns 50% of Senior Estate’s out¬ 
standing capital stock, against 
John Post Jr., Anita Post Litsky 
and Louis Schweitzer. Eisen 
charged Post and his sister, Mrs. 
Litsky, who owns the other 50% 
of the Senior Estate stock, sold the 
lease on the house without his 
knowledge or consent. 

The ruling also requires Schweit¬ 
zer to account to Senior Estate 
for all receipts during the pe¬ 
riod the theatre was under'his op¬ 
eration. Eisen’s attorneys, Gold¬ 
stein, tJolenbock & Barrell, noted 
that the Stock Corporation Law 
requires that in the sale of all or 
substantially all of the assets of 
a corporation, there must either be 
written consent of all the’ stock¬ 
holders or the consent of a major¬ 
ity at a formal stock meeting. 

The Court ruled that even if 
there was an allegation of oral 
consent by all the stockholders, 
there, must be written consent as 
required by the statute. The de¬ 
cision will be appealed by Schweit¬ 
zer to the Court of Appeals in Al¬ 
bany. The dispute over the lease, 
however, does not affect ownership 
of the de Lys property, which 
Schweitzer also purchased, or prob¬ 
ably the current run of “Three¬ 
penny Opera” at the house. 


+ Tent theatre dominance of tin 
st.ravvhat field Is Increasing. Th« 
canvastop operations are not only 
growing in number, but are begin¬ 
ning to get prior booking of legit 
plays. The latter development is 
highlighted by the scheduled 
summer tent tour of a package 
production of “Teahouse of the 
August Moon.” 

The unit edition of the John 
Patrick-Vern Sneider comedy will 
be available for tent bookings only. 
The rights to tour the play in stock 
have been acquired by Robert 
Rapport, general manager on the 
Broadway production of “Tea¬ 
house” and now touring with it 
a.? company manager. His deal'with 
Patrick does not permit him to 
play regular proscenium outlets. 

This restricted release has 
raised a storm of protest among 
the regular barn producers. There 
have been resolutions by two stock 
producer organization to boycott 
(he property when it’s put into 
general release. Latter move was 
instituted by the Council of Stock 
Theatres, representing 27 star 
houses, and the Council of Resi¬ 
dent Stock Theatres, representing 
about 55 silos In the non-star 
category. 

Rapport’s rights to the property 
are geographically limited to New 
Jersey, New York, Rhode Island, 
Massachusetts and Connecticut, 
territory already been covered (or 
due to be covered before summer) 
by one of the regular productions 
of the show. There are currently 
three productions of “Teahouse” 
on the road, including the original 
Maurice Evans-George Schaefer 
Broadway offering and two Howard 
Lindsay-Russel Crouse touring 
editions. 

Rapport expects to begin touring 
his package in mid-July, immedi- 
(Continued on page 59) 

ATPAM Wins Tiff With 
Myerberg; Arbiter Sez 
Mgr. Job Is With Show 

The question of who bosses 
legit-employed members of the 
Assn, of Theatrical Press Agents 
& Managers—the producer or the 
union—has been settled. It's the 
union. 

That was the verdict handed 
down in an arbitration of a dispute 
between producer Michael Myer¬ 
berg and ATPAM. The hassle con-, 
cerned Myerberg’s firing of Arthur 
Klein as company manager of his 
forthcoming Broadway production 
of “Waiting for Godot” during the 
play’s tryout at the Coconut Grove 
(Fla.) Playhouse early last Janu¬ 
ary. 

Myerberg had instructed Klein 
to remain in New York at that 
time to work on future bookings 
and. theatre parties for the play. 
ATPAM countermanded the pro¬ 
ducer’s order, on the ground that 
under its basic contract the com¬ 
pany manager belonged with the 
show. The union ordered Klein to 
rejoin the production. He did so 
and was fired by Myerberg. 

The producer then accused the 
union of interfering with his busi¬ 
ness. Sidney A. Wolff, sole arbiter 
in the matter, sustained ATPAM's 
stand in the dispute on the theory 
that it is the company manager’s 
job “to be with the production 
wherever.it is being played, and 
that no one but the company man¬ 
ager may perform the functions of 
his job.” 

The arbiter’s summation was 
that the “producer had no con¬ 
tractual right to require Klein to 
render his services as company 
manager away from the place 
where the play was being per¬ 
formed.” Unless Myerberg ap¬ 
peals the decision, that’s that. 

DROP PLANS TO RAZE 
GEARY THEATRE IN S.F. 

San Francisco, April 3. 

The Geary Theatre, previously 
threatened with demolition, has 
■been saved for legit. Matson 
Lines, which had an option on the 
property, has dropped it. The ship¬ 
ping company had planned to 
build a hotel on the site. 

The 1,551-seat house has long 
been a key stand for touring legit 
show's, particularly straight plays. 
Musicals usually play the 1,771- 
|seat Curran adjacent. 


LEGITIMATE 


•Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


58 


B’way Perks; Johnson’ 

“Wonderful’ $54,800, Lunts $29,700, 
‘Game 44G, ‘Heart’ 21'/ 2 G, ‘Janus’ 20^G 


Business on Broadway climbed 
for most shows last week, reversing 
the traditional Holy Week slump. 
However, drops ranging from mod¬ 
erate to substantial, were registered 
by a few entries. Only three of¬ 
ferings hit capacity. They were 
“Danin Yankees,” “My Fair Lady 
and “No Time for Sergeants.” 

There were two preems, “Little 
Glass Clock” and “Mister John¬ 
son,” with the former folding last 
Saturday (3D. Only other shutter¬ 
ing was “Chalk Garden.” This 
week's preems are “Affair of 
Honor” and “Month in the Coun¬ 
try,” the latter off-Broadway at the 
Phoenix Theatre. 

Estimates for Last Week 

Keys: C (Comedy), D (Drama), 
CD (Comedy-Drama), R (Revue), 
MC (Musical-Comedy), MD (Musi¬ 
cal-Drama), O (Opera), OP (Op- 
retta). 

Other parenthetic designations 
refer, respectively, to weeks played, 
number of performances through 
last Saturday, top prices, number 
of seats capacity gross and stars. 
Price includes 10% Federal and 
5 % City tax, but grosses are net; 
i.e., exclusive of tax. 

Bus Stop, Winter Garden (CD) 
(57th wk; 454; $5.75-$4.60; 1,494; 
$43,000. (Previous week, $14,400; 
closes April 21); last week, almost 
$15,700 on twofers. 

Cat on a Hot Tin Roof, Morosco 
(D) (54th wk; 428; $6.90; 946; $31,- 
000) (Burl Ives, Barbara Bel 
Geddes). (Previous week, $30,500); 
last week, over $30,500. 

Damn Yankees, 46th St. (MC) 
(48th wk; 380; $8.05; 1,297; $50,573) 
(Gwen Verdon). (Previous week, 
$50,400); last week, over $50,700. 

Desk Set, Broadhurst (C) (23d 
wk; 184; $5.75-$4.60; 1,182; $31,500) 
(Shirley Booth). (Previous week, 
$15,000); last week, nearly $14,300. 

Diary of Anne Frank, Cort (D) 
(26th wk; 205; $5.75; 1,036; $28,- 
854) (Joseph Schildkraut, Susan 
Strasberg). (Previous week, $24,- 
700); last week, almost $26,200. 

Fallen Angels, Playhouse (C) 
(11th wk; 87; $5.75-$4.60; 994; $27,- 
251) (Nancy Walker, Margaret 
Phillips). (Previous week. $13,900); 
last week, nearly $15,600. - 

Fanny, Majestic (MD) (74th wk: 
588; $7.50; 1,625; $62,968) (Ezio 
Pinza, Walter Slezak). (Previous 
week, $35,000); last week, almost 
$41,600. 

Great Sebastians, Coronet (C) 
(13th wk; 101; $6.90; 998; $34,500) 


S. M. HANDELSMAN 
Managing Director of 

THE 

PLAYHOUSE 
hill THE PARK 

PHILADELPHIA, PA. 

announces 
The change of the 
New York Office address 
to 

58 West 57th Street, 
New York 19 
Phone: Circle 6-3030 


ULTRA HIGH HEELS 

Theatrical footwear. Heels up to S 
inches. Boots and shoes made to 
sketches and specifications. Write for 
illustrated catalog. 

REGENT SHOES 

39 Wardour St., W.I., London, England 


DONNELLY’S NURSING HOME 

Finest Nursing Cere 
De Luxe Accommodations 
Chapel on Premises 
147-12 34th Ave., Flushing, New York 

For Reservations Call 
INdependenca 1-1923 


(Alfred Lunt, Lynn Fontanne). 
(Previous week, $28,700); last week, 
over $29,700. 

Hatful of Rain, Lyceum (D) (21st 
wk; 165; $5.75-$4.60; 995; $23,339) 
(Shelley Winters, Ben Gazzara). 
(Previous week, $18,000); last week, 
almost $20,000. 

Inherit the Wind, National (D) 
(48th wk; 381; $5.75-$4.60; 1,162; 
$31,300) (Paul Muni). (Previous 
week, $25,700); last week, nearly 
$29,400. 

-Janus, Plymouth (C) (19th wk; 
146; $5.75-$4.60; 1,062; $32,700) 

(Margaret Sullavan, Robert Pres¬ 
ton. Claude Dauphin). (Previous 
week. $20,300); last week, almost 
$20,500. Claudette Colbert has 
taken over as femme lead, succeed¬ 
ing Miss Sullavan. 

Lark, Longacre (D) (20th wk; 
156; $5.75; 1,101; $29,378) (Julie 
Harris, Boris Karloff). (Previous 
week, .$21,700; last week, nearly 
$25,200. 

Matchmaker, Royale (C) (17th 
wk; 136; $5.75 l 1,050; $31,000) 

(Ruth Gordon, Eileen Herlie, Lor- 
ing Smith). (Previous week, $27,* 
300); last week, almost $28,500. 

Middle of the Night, ANTA The¬ 
atre (D) (8th wk; 61; $5.75; 1,185; 
$39,116) (Edward G. Robinson). 
(Previous week, $33,000; last week, 
nearly $33,200. 

Mister Johnson, Martin Beck (D) 
(1st wk; 4; $5.75-$4.60; 1,214; $32,- 
985). Opened last Thursday (29) 
to five favorable reviews (Chap¬ 
man, News; Coleman. Mirror; Haw¬ 
kins, World-Telegram; McClain, 
Journal-American; Watts, Post), 
one unfavorable (Atkinson, Times) 
and one yes-no (Kerr, Herald Trib¬ 
une); over $11,300 for first four 
performances. 

Mr. Wonderful, Broadway (MC) 
(2d wk; 12; $7.50-$6.90; 1,900; $72,- 
000). (Previous week, $52,000 for 
first four performances and two 
previews); last week, over $54,800. 

My Fair Lady, Hellinger (MC) 
(3d wk; 20; $7.50; 1,527; $62,452) 
(Rex Harrison, Julie Andrews). 
(Previous week, $64,831); last 
week, new house record at $65,109. 
No Time for Sergeants, Alvin 

(C) (24th wk; 188; $5.75-$4.60; 

1,331; $38,500). (Previous week, 
$39,000); last week, over $39,000. 

Pajama Game, St. James (MC) 
((99th wk; 788; $6.90; 1,615; $52,- 
118) (John Raitt, Eddie Foy Jr., 
Helen Gallagher). (Previous week, 
$38,100); last week, over $44,000. 

Pipe Dream, Shubert (MD) (18th 
wk; 141; $7.50; 1,453; $55,039) 

(Helen Traubel, William Johnson). 
(Previous week, $54,000); last week, 
almost $44,200. 

Ponder Heart, Music Box (C) 
(7th wk; 52; $5.75; 1,010; $30,000) 
(David Wayne). (Previous week, 
$23,600); test week, nearly $21,500. 

Silk Stockings, Imperial (MC) 
(58th wk; 460; $7.50; 1,427; $57,- 
800) (Hildegarde Neff, Lawrence 
Brooks). (Previous week, $25,200); 
last week, almost $29,200. Closes 
April 14 to tour, with Jan Sher¬ 
wood replacing Miss Neff. 

Tiger at the Gates, Helen Haves 

(D) (26th wk; 208; $5.75; 1,039; 
$30,845) (Michael Redgrave). (Pre¬ 
vious week, $16,400); last week, 
over $21,900; closing next Satur¬ 
day (7). 

Time Limit, Booth (D) (10th 

k; 79; $5.75-$5.20; 766; $24,330) 
(Arthur Kennedy). (Previous week, 
$15,400); last week, almost $15,100. 

Will Success Spoil Rock Hunter, 
Belasco (C) (25th wk; 196; $5.75; 
1,037; $31,582). (Previous week, 
$16,700); last week, nearly $15,900. 

Witness for the Prosecution, 
Miller (D) (68th wk; 540; $5.75- 
$4.60; 946; $23,248). (Previous 
week, /$16,700); last week, over 
$18,600; closes June 30 to tour. 
Closed Last Week 
Chalk Garden, Barrymore (CD) 
(23d wk; 181; $5.75-$4.60; 1,077; 
$27,811) (Gladys Cooper, Siobhan 
McKenna). (Previous week, $16,- 
600); last week, nearly $24,400; 
closed last Saturday (31) at an ap¬ 
proximate $25,000 loss (including 
film sale) on a $100,000 investment. 

• Little Glass Clock, Golden (C) 
(1st wk; 8; $5.75-$4.60; 800; $22,- 
647) (Eva Gabor, Reginald" Gardi¬ 
ner). Around $6,000 for first 
eight performances; closed last 
Saturday (31) at an approximate I 
$60,000 loss on a $70,000 invest¬ 
ment. 

Opening This Week 
Affair of Honor, Barrymore (C) 
($5.75-$4.60; 1,077; $27,811). (Den¬ 
nis King). Play by Bill Hoffman, 
presented by Theatre Guild in as¬ 
sociation with Theatre 200; pro¬ 
duction financed at $75,000, cost 
about $50,000 to bring in and can 
break even at around $16,000 gross; 
opens Friday night (6). 

Month in the Country, Phoenix 


‘Can-Can’ Sober $22,600 
On Week in New Haven 

New Haven, April 3. 

“Can-Can” at the 1,657-seat 
Shubert Theatre here last week 
was a nemesis, getting a slow $22,- 
600 against a potential capacity of 
$50,000 at a $6 top. 

House is dark this week. Next 
week brings the preem of the try¬ 
out, “Wake Up, Darling,” April 
11-14, followed by “Shangri-La,” 
April 21-28; “Bus Stop,” May 2-5, 
and “New Faces of 1956,” May 12- 
19. _ 

‘Fella’Big ^G, 
3d Week in Hub 

Boston, April 3. 

With two on the bo a r d. s, and 
several new entries skedded, local 
legit is picking up momentum after 
a lull. Newcomer, “Teahouse of 
the August Moon” opened at the 
Colonial last night (Mon.) to $50,- 
000, the biggest advance sale in 
legiter’s history, beating the old 
record of $46,000 of “Solid Gold 
Cadillac.” 

“Most Happy Fella,” in its third 
week, held big and finishes its 
month tryout next Saturday night 
(7), then moves to Philadelphia be¬ 
fore Broadway. 

Tallulah Bankhead and Carol 
Haney are-due with “Ziegfeld Fol¬ 
lies” at the Shubert for two weeks, 
with a preview April 14. opening 
April 16. “Wake Up Darling” has 
been set back to April 17 at the 
Plymouth and will be in for a two- 
weeker. 

Date for “Shangri-La” has been 
set for May 1 opener at the Shu¬ 
bert, three weeks before Broad¬ 
way. Date for “Pajama Game,” 
windup of the Hub legit season at 
the Shubert has not been set yet. 
Estimates for Last Week 

Most Happy Fella, Shubert, 
(MD) (3d wk) ($4.95; 1,717; $52,- 
020). Over $45,500. 


‘AFFAIR’ SO-SO $15,900 
IN CLEVE. TRYOUT WK, 

Cleveland, April 3. 

Broadway-b o u n d “Affair of 
Honor,” starring Dennis King, sur¬ 
vived the Holy Week doldrums just 
fairly well by drawing moderate 
$15,900 at the Hanna last week. 
Scale was $4 top in the 1,515-seat 
house. ’ The’ Bill Hoffman comedy 
got mild critical attention. 

Currently, Harry Belafonte’s mu¬ 
sical “Sing, Man, Sing” is at the 
Hanna. Road company of “Damn 
Yankees” Is due next Monday (9) 
for three weeks at $6 top. 


Chi Holds Steady; Inherit’ $27,200, 
I,‘Teahouse 


‘Ride’$13,500, L.A. 

Hollywood, April 3. 4 
Unpredictable Los Angeles le- 
gitgoers reversed the usual Holy 
Week atmosphere last session and 
gave “Joy Ride,” the town's only 
incumbent, a revenue boost. Re¬ 
vue’s take moved up to around 
$13,500, and since the producers 
have cut back on advertising and 
effected various cast and produc¬ 
tion economies, the tally just 
about put the show at the break¬ 
even point for the first time in its 
12-week run. 

Local legit gets another entry 
tomorrow (Wed.) when “The 
World of Sholem Aleichem” opens 
a limited run at the Ivar Theatre, 
with Jacob Ben-Ami starred. 


•7 


P&F 446 Phila 

‘Strip NG $19,500 

Philadelphia, April 3. 

“Strip for Action,” hit by Holy 
Week and the critics, failed to 
make grade in its initial stanza at 
the Shubert last week. “Plain and 
Fancy” continued its capacity pace 
at the Forrest, with the gross 
marred slightly by the house mak¬ 
ing good to previous-vyeek stub- 
holders who were prevented by 
the blizzard from reaching the 
show. 

“Most Happy Fella,” the town's 
next offering, is due at the Shu¬ 
bert next Tuesday (10). 

Estimates for Last Week 

Plain and Fancy, Forrest, (MC) 
(4th wk; $5.40; 1,760; $44,784). 
Musical was a hit and might have 
stayed extra sessions; left town 
Saturday (31) with almost $44,000 
for the finale. 

Strip for Action, Shubert (MC) 
(1st wk); $6.60; 1,870; $55,423). 
Word-of-mouth and newspaper nix 
hurt the tryout of the Howard 
Hoyt-Igor Cassini attempt to gla¬ 
morize burleycue. Murdock, (In¬ 
quirer); Sensenderfer (Bulletin) 
and Gaghan (Daily News) gave it 
thumbs-down; sad $19,500 and 
continues. 


3d ‘Teahouse’ Co. $22,400 
On Texas Split-Week 

Lubbock, Tex., April 3. 

Third company of “Teahouse of 
the August Moon” grossed a fair 
$22,400 in an eight-performance, 
four-way Texas split last week. 
The stanza wound up a fortnight's 
swing through that, territory, with 
the take for the two weeks total¬ 
ing $54,100. 

The comedy grossed $4,700 in a 
single performance Monday (26) at 
the Baylor U. Auditorium, Waco. 
Three performances Tuesday- 
Wednesday (27-28) at the Will 
Rogers Auditorium, Fort Worth, 
accounted for $6,300, while an¬ 
other $2,900 was taken in Thursday 
(29) in a one-shot at the Municipal 
Auditorium Wichita Falls. 

The show was guaranteed $$,500 
for three performances at the 
Municipal Auditorium here Fxi- 
day-Saturday (30-31). Jerry Oddo 
is pinchhitting for the vacationing 
Larry Parks. 


(C) ($3.45; 1,150; $24,067). Ivan 
Turgenev’s play, revived by E. Ed¬ 
ward Hambleton & Norris Hough¬ 
ton, opened last night (Tues.) for 
a limited engagement. 


OFF-BROADWAY 

Admirable Bashville, Cherry Lane 
(2-20). 

Antigone, Carnegie Hall (4-2). 

Beaver Coat, Greenwich Mews 
(3-28). 

Candida, Downtown (2-23); closes 
April 22. 

Cradle Song, Circle in Square 
(12-1); closes April 29. 

He Who Gets Slapped, Actor's 
Playhouse (1-20). 

Mary 8c Fairy^ Club Cinema 
(3-23). 

Private Life of Master Race, 
Open Stage (1-30). 

Romeo 8c Juliet, Jan Hus (2-23). 

Salome, Davenport (2-2). 

Shadow 8c Substance, Temple 
(3-13). 

Threepenny Opera, deLys(9-20). 

Uncle Vanya, 4th St. (1-31). . 


‘Friend’ Boyish $31,000. 
On 2d Week in Detroit 

Detroit, April 3. 

A good Holy Week gross of $31,- 
000 was scored by “Boy Friend” 
in the second week of a three-week 
run at the 2,050-seat Shubert. First, 
week was $33,600. Top is $4.50. . 

Current at the 1,482-seat Cass is 
the breakin of Leslie Stevens’ new 
play “The Lovers,” presented by 
The Playwrights Co. and Gayle 
Stine. Tryout is for : two weeks. 


British Shows 

(Figures denote opening dates) 

LONDON 

Boy Eriond, Wyndham's (12-1-53). 
Comedy of Errors, Arts (3-29-56). 

Cranks RaVua, St. Mart. (3-1-56). 

Crazy Gang, Vic. Pal. (12-16-54). 

Dry Rot, Whitehall (8-31-54). 

Fresh Airs, Comedy (1-26-56). 

Girl Called Jo, Piccadilly (12-15-55). 
Kismet, Stoll (4-20-55). 

Likely Tala, Globe (3-22-56). 

’Morning's at 7, W'stm'stY (2-7-56). 
Mr. Pannypacker, New (5-18-55). 
Mousetrap, Ambassador (11-25-52). 

One Bright Day, Apollo (3-20-56). 
Pajama Gama, Coliseum (10-13-55). 
Paris by Night, Prince Wales (4-9-55). 
Plain & Fancy, Drury Lane (1-25-56). 
Plume da ma Tante, Garrick (11-3-55), 
Reluctant Deb, Cambridge (5-24-55). 
Repertory, Old Vic (9-7-55). 

Ring for Catty, Lyric (2-14-56). 

Rivals, Saville (2-23-56). 

Sailor Beware, Strand (2-16-55). 

Salad Days, Vaudeville (8-5-54). 

Separata Tables, St. James's (9-22-34). 
Spider's Web, Savoy (12-14-54). 

•Strong Are Lonely, H'market (1-24-56). 
Such Is Life, Adelphl (12-14-55). 

Summer Song, Princes (2-16-56). 

Tabitha, Duchess (3-8-36). 

Teahouse Aug. Moon, Her Maj. (4-22-54). 
3 Penny Opera, Aldwych (2-9-56). 

Waits of Toroadors, Criterion (3-27-56). 
•Interrupted run. 

Scheduled Openings 
Power A Glory, Phoenix (4-5-56). ' 

Chalk Garden, Haymarket (4-11-36). 


Chicago, April 3. 

Loop biz held about steady last 
week, with “Teahouse of the Au¬ 
gust Moon” registering a modest 
gain. 

The expanded lineup of future 
bookings now reads: “The Lov¬ 
ers,” Great Northern, April 16 on 
subscription for three weeks pre- 
Broadway; “Strip for Action,” 
Shubert,' April 17, four weeks 
prior to New York; “Bad Seed,” 
Harris, April 30, for a run on sub¬ 
scription, and “Sing, Man, Sing,” 
Shubert, May 14 for two frames 
enroute to N. Y. 

Estimates for Last Week 

Inherit the Wind, Blackstone, 
(8th wk) ($5; 1,450; $37,038) (Mel- 
vyn Douglas). Over $27,200 (pre¬ 
vious week, $27,800). 

Pajama Game, Shubert (20th 
wk) ($5.50; 2,100; $61,000) (Fran 
Warren, Larry Douglas, Buster 
West). Topped $26,800 (previous 
week, $29,400). 

Teahouse of the August Moon, 

Erlanger (29th wk) ($5; 1,335; $35,- 
495) (Burgess Meredith, Hugh 
Reilly). Nearly $30,500 (previous 
week, $29,200). 

‘SEED’ $23,500, FRISCO; 
‘WALTZ’LIVELY $16,000 

San Francisco, April 3. 

The touring “Bad Seed” did 
healthy biz last week on its hold¬ 
over at the Curran Theatre here. 
“Anniversary Waltz” continues its 
long run at the Alcazar, with Hugh 
Marlowe going back in a leading 
role, succeeding Russell Nype. 
Estimates for Last Week 

Bad Seed, Curran (2d wk) ($4.40; 
1,752) (Nancy Kelly). Neat $23,- 
5,00, a boost of $3,000. 

Anniversary Waltz, Alcazar (20th 
wk) ($3.85; 1,147) (Hugh Marlowe, 
Marjorie Lord). Nifty $16,000 and 
continues indefinitely. 

Yankees’ Fast $36,300 
For Final Week, Wash. 

Washington, April 3. 

The eight-week run of “Damn 
Yankees” rang up $318,700 at the 
National Theatre, highly profitable 
for the theatre. Second and third 
weeks combined for an all-time 
two-week record take at the house. 

Run, which concluded last Sat¬ 
urday night (31) in the 1,677-seat 
house, took in $36,300 for its final 
stanza. This bettered the previous 
week and was regarded as un¬ 
usually strong for Holy Week. Eas¬ 
ter tourists in the nation’s capital 
apparently helped. “Yankees” was 
scaled here to $4.95 top week 
nights arid $5.50 weekends. 

“Plain and Fancy” opens at the 
National tonight (Tues.) with an 
advance of $42,000 for its three- 
week run. Shubert Theatre con¬ 
tinues dark. 


SCHEDULED N. Y. OPENINGS 

(Theatres indicated if set) 

Waiting far Godot (4-16). 

King and I,,City Center (4-18). 
Goodbye Again/ Helen Hayes C4-24). 
Wako Up Darling (3-2). 

Most Happy Folia, Imperial (3-3). 

Kiss Mr Ksto, City Center (3-9). 

Lovers (5-*). 

Zlogfold Follies, Wlnt. Gard. (3-20). 
Four Dolls on a Dime (wk. 5-27). 
CSrman Jonas, City Center (5-31). 
Shangri-La (4*4). 


Of F-BROADWAY 

Anna Lucasta, Temple (4-4). 

Plough A Stars, Barblzon-Plaza (4-5). 
Mary Stuart, Guild Hall (4-6). 
Beautiful Paopla, Theatre East (4-10). 
.Littlast Ravua, Phoenix (5-15). 

The Desert, Provincetown (5-21). . 


LUXURIOUS 
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country kitchen, family room. Fur¬ 
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Swimming pool, tennis court ( croquet 
court, large pond. Beautifully land¬ 
scaped grounds; maintenance fur¬ 
nished. Complete privacy. Accessible 
to village. Station wagon available. 

Inquire Owner, N. H. GREENBERG 
Weekdays. CApitol 7-7231 
Weekends, Evenings 
CLearwater y-7285 


Consider Insured Savings 
Now Earning 3V2% 

REPORT 24 $1.00 . 
Returnable Day Report! 

BOX 4-H, EVANSTON. ILL 

SUMMER THEATRE 
Sale or Lease 

Beautiful Grove Theater at Nuanflolo, 
Pennsylvania. Complete facilities,. 
Contact A. P. Storm, Lyndalia, Wil¬ 
mington, Delaware. 


Young DIRECTOR 

MU*lc*u - *ri< H *MH* 1 ^ 'ixiVrl.nc.. 

Directed for—effrB'way, tv—films, 
college, community and 
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write; Box V-24-14 salary or 

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154 W. 44th St., 

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Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Tents Rills Stock 

? . continued from pace 57 == 

alely following the wrapup of the 
Broadway company’s tour in Wash¬ 
ington. The leads and director for 
the package are subject to Patrick's 
approval. 

Tent bookings of “Teahouse” will 
mark a switch from the usual 
musical skeds and may pave the 
way for other straight play presen¬ 
tations, as is the regular policy at 
the canvastop Playhouse-in-the- 
Pnrk, Philadelphia. 

In line with the growing number 
of tent showcases, the latest addi¬ 
tion to the list is a contemplated 
Musicarnival just outside the city 
limits of New Brunswick, N. J. 
A five-and-a-half acre tract has 
been leased, by the New Jersey 
Musicamival Corp., headed by 
Lloyd S. Winik. The tent will have 
an approximate seating capacity 
of 1.800, and there will be parking 
accommodations for 800 cars. ' 

Winik, active in booking shows 
for civic and social organizations 
via his firm, Artists Unlimited, is 
promoting coin for the tent thea¬ 
tre by stock sale. His wife, who’s 
had experience as an actress and 
director and is also a speech and 
drama instructor, will operate the 
tent with her husband. A late June 
opening is contemplated, with the 
projected production sked to 
ir elude musicals and straight plays. 

Other tents slated to preem this 
summer include a 2,000-seater at 
. Framingham, Mass., one at Cam¬ 
den, N. J., and another at West- 
bury, L. I, 

<< 

‘Anniversary Waltz’ 

r ■- - Continued from page 57 

taxes, in the first 20 weeks of its 
run. Since the breaking point is 
slightly under $11,000, the profit 
has been accumulating. 

Hale claims one thing that has 
put the play over is “the sense of 
audience participation it gives.” 

The Joseph Fields - Jerome 
Chodorov work Is based on a cou¬ 
ple’s revelation to their children 
and the wife’s parents that they 
had had pre-marital relations. The 


comedy hangs on that and two 
other fairly primitive jokes—the 
husband's antipathy toward tele¬ 
vision and toward his in-laws. 

“But,” says Hale, “we guarded 
against playing the objectionable 
scenes—scenes that were objec¬ 
tionable in some cities, anyway— 
broadly. We played them straight, 
as if these were honest happenings 
in American life today.” 

The producer, who was a mem¬ 
ber of Henry Duffy’s Alcazar stock 
company in 1928-29, has recouped 
from such earlier disasters as his 
production of “Desperate Hours” 
which ran here four weeks and 
lost close to $10,000 a week. Other 
Alcazar losers last year were 
“Fifth Season,” .“Lunatics and 
Lovers” (a Hollywood - originated 
production) and “Tender Trap.” 

Hale, after a year and a half 
with Duffy, took his own stock 
company to Salt Lake City for 20 
weeks in 1930, then left the the¬ 
atre for 22 years to devote him¬ 
self to his family’s retailing inter¬ 
ests. In 1952 he leased the Al¬ 
cazar, which by then ha.d been re¬ 
named the United Nations by Fox 
West Coast and had proved a fail¬ 
ure as a film moveover house. 

He was lucky to be able to re¬ 
open the house with Otto Premin¬ 
ger’s Coast version of “Moon Is 
Blue” and had modestly profitable 
runs with “Dear Charles,” “Caine 
Mutiny Court Martial” and “Three 
for Tonight,” among others. 

Hale took his lumps, in between, 
and “Anniversary Waltz” is his 
first full-blown success as a pro¬ 
ducer. The next circled date on 
his calendar is Aug. 6, when “Wit¬ 
ness for the Prosecution” is sched¬ 
uled into the Alcazar. Hale figures 
“Waltz” can continue until then. 

Mary Chase, whose “Lolita” is 
due for Broadway presentation 
next fall by Producers Theatre, 
returned Monday from a Mediter¬ 
ranean cruise. She leaves the end 
of the week for her home in Dep- 
ver. Her editor-huband, Robert 
Chase, of the Rocky Mountain 
News, hustled back to work’ yes¬ 
terday (Tues.). 

Actor Fredd Wayne, after a 
visit to New York to catch the new 
legit show crop, planed back to 
the Coast yesterday (Tues.) to re¬ 
sume vldpix assignments. 


yfoftlETY 


Still ‘Smoke’ in Boston, 
Despite ATPAM Pickets 

Boston, April 3. 

Despite picketing by the Assn, 
of Theatrical Press Agents & 
Managers, which is trying to un¬ 
ionize the operation, Lyric Produc¬ 
tions is continuing its “off-Broad¬ 
way” presentations at the Fine 
Arts Theatre here. The ATPAM 
dispute has been going on for four 
weeks, with no prospect of settle¬ 
ment. 

Tennessee Williams’ “Summer 
And Smoke” is the current show, 
substituted after Williams with¬ 
drew “Camino Real.” Initial play 
of the non-Equity group, “Thieves' 
Carnival,” vras roasted by the Bos¬ 
ton critics. “Summer And Smoke” 
got fair reviews. The next offer¬ 
ing, “Devil’s Disciple,” opens 
April 19. 

Eugene O’Neill’s “Great God 
Brown,” slated as the fourth entry 
of the new acting group, has been 
withdrawn. “We felt the time is 
not right for the play,” producer 
Grace Tuttle explained. 

WARD MOREHOUSE IN 
BID F0R.ATPAM ENTRY 

Former N. Y. drama columnist 
and critic Ward Morehouse has ap¬ 
plied for membership ift the Assn, 
of Theatrical Press Agents & 
Managers. The application, under 
the union’s recently adopted 
“Sheaffer Amendment,” was pro¬ 
posed by company manager 
Thomas Kilpatrick. 

Morehouse has recently been 
freelancing magazine articles on 
Broadway legit after a stint “get¬ 
ting away from it all” for about 
a year as amusement and literary 
editor of the Colorado Springs 
Free Press. Previously, he was for 
many years drama columnist and 
then critic for the old N. Y. Sun. 
Later, he was drama columnist for 
the N. Y. World-Telegram. 

The “Sheaffer Amendment,” un¬ 
der which newspaper men with at 
least 10 years’ experience cover¬ 
ing legit are admissable to 
ATPAM, was adopted to permit 
the entry of Louis Sheaffer, for¬ 
mer critic of the old Brooklyn 
Eagle, 


LEGITIMATE 


Legit Bits 


Bianca Stroock, designer-wife of 
James E. Stroock, president of 
Brooks Costume Co., planed to the 
Coast last Wednesday (28) for 
several weeks. She’s guesting with 
the Raymond Spcctors. 

Attorney David Marshall Holtz- 
niann, who operates the Cape Cod 
Melody Tent, Hyannis, Mass., and 
the South Shore Musical Tent, 
Cohasset, „has set the production 
staffs for the two spots for this 
summer. For the former, Arnold 
Goodman will be general manager, 
with Ernest Sarracino stage direc¬ 
tor, Julius Rudel music director 
and a choreographer to be named. 
For Cohasset, the g.m. will be 
Peter Kelley, with Laurence Carra 
stage director, Donald Smith music 
director and Peter Hamilton cho¬ 
reographer. ; 

Ethel Merman will return to 
Broadway next season as star of 
the David Merrick-Jo Mielzincr 
production of “Happy Hunting,” a 
new musical with book by Howard 
Lindsay and Russel Crouse, lyrics 
by Matt Dubey and music by Har¬ 
old Karr. 

James Bridie’s “Mr. Gillie” was 
given its fiist U.S, production four 
years ago at Southwestern Col¬ 
lege, Memphis, Term. In last 
week’s issue the play was erra- 
tumed as getting its initial Amer¬ 
ican showcasing at the Margo 
Jones’ Theatre ’58, Dallas. 

Actors Equity has waived its 
six-month waiting period for alien 
actors to permit Michael Redgrave 
to play the male lead in Terence 
Rattigan’s “Sleeping Prince,” 
which Gilbert Miller and Roger L. 
Stevens plan to bring to Broadway 
next season. Redgrave is current¬ 
ly starring in “Tiger at the Gates,” 
which ends its Broadway run next 
Saturday (7). 

Kermit Bloomgarden has pur¬ 
chased the musical rights to John 
G. Schneider’s novel, "Golden 
Kazoo,” with Charles Spalding and 
Larry Gelbert assigned to write 
the book for the tuner. 

David Wayne and Robert Doug-' 
las have optioned Ken England’s 
“So Few for Love,” which they’ve 
targeted for fall production, with 
Wayne planning to double as 
stager. 

Cole Porter, who was credited 
last week as making his Broadway 
bow in 1916 as composer-lyricist of 
“See America First,” was actually 


represented previously in the 
Shubert production in 1915 of 
“Hands Up,” with an interpolated 
number, “Esmeralda.” 

Richard Adler will provide the 
lyrics and music for a musical ver¬ 
sion of “The Ghost Goes West,” 
which is on Robert L. Joseph’s 
production slate. 

Robert Downing is assisting Ezra 
Stone on the direction of Alex 
Gottlieb’s “Wake Up Darling,” 
scheduled for May 2 on Broadway. 

Fred Koch Jr., of the U. of Mi¬ 
ami, Coral Gables, Fla., and Ran¬ 
dolph Edmonds, of the Florida 
A&M U. Tallahassee, were reelected 
president and veepee, respectively, 
of the Southeastern Theatre Con¬ 
ference, which recently wound up 
a two-day convention at the Barter 
Theatre, Abingdon, Va. B. M. Hob- 
1 good, of Catawabe College, Salis- 
I bury, N. C., was elected executive 
secretary-treasurer. 

I Meyer Davis, bandleader-orch 
contractor-legit investor, returns 
from Florida at the end of this 
week after a brief vacation, follow¬ 
ing an in-person batoning stint at 
the Everglades Club, Palm Beach, 
Fla., closing night ball last Sun¬ 
day (1). 

Wagon Wheel Theatre, Rockton, 
Ill., presented “Tender Trap” last 
week and has “Wayward Saint” 
current. 

Florence Reed starring in “Night 
Must Fall,” opening Monday (9) 
at the Fred Miller Theatre, Mil¬ 
waukee. 

Violet Welles, production assist¬ 
ant on “Ponder Heart,” is the au¬ 
thor of “Spring Affair,” to be 
given a three-week tryout at the 
Margo Jones’ Theatre '56 begin¬ 
ning April 23. 

Playwright - producer Russel 
Crouse vacationing in Bermuda. 

Ethel Shutta to Star 
In Houston’s ‘Cadillac’ 

Houston, April 3. 

“Solid Gold Cadillac” opens Fri¬ 
day (6) at the Playhouse Theatre 
here, with local resident, Ethel 
Shutta, as the lethally innocent 
minority stockholder. 

The former singing star is mak¬ 
ing her first local appearance since 
the group’s production of “Light 
Up The Sky” last summer. 


Thank you , JOSEPH HYMAN and BERNARD HART 
Thank you, JEROME CHODOROV and JOSEPH FIELDS 

Thank you, MOSS HART 


HUGH 


WITH 


MARLOWE 


AND 


MARJORIE 

LORD 


CO-STARRED 


AND GREAT THANKS TO RUSSELL 


NYPE 


FOR HIS 12 CO-STARRING WEEKS 


“ANNIVERSARY WALTZ” 

As Produced by RANDOLPH HALE 

As Directed by DON TAYLOR 


AS PLAYED BY HERBERT HEYES as Mr. Gans 

GORDON GEBERT as Okkie Walters 
MICKIE McCORMIC as Debbie Walters 
SANDRA STONE as Janice Revere 
JACK KNOCHE as Sam 


RUTH PERROTT as Mrs. Gans 
KENNETH PATTERSON as Chris Steelman 
MAY WILL HILL as Millie 
GERARD MASTERSON as Harry 
MAURICE S. ARGENT as Handyman 


RANDOLPH HALE’S 


IS NOW IN ITS 2lST CONSECUTIVE WEEK AT 

ALCAZAR THEATRE 


SAN FRANCISCO 


PAUL M. TREBITSCH, Manager E. O. BONDESON, Pr«s Representative 

BREAKING THE 30-YEAR SAN FRANCISCO LONG-RUN RECORD HELD BY 




CONCERT - 01*1511 A 




Wednesday, April 4, 1955 


60 


AGMA Warns on Opera-in- Concert ] 
Jurisdiction; Drive On Fees Seen! 


Recent American Guild of Musi¬ 
cal Artists memo sent to concert 
managements and managers has 
excited interest, while confusing 
some execs as to its real purposes. 
AGMA memo reminded manage¬ 
ments that it had jurisdiction over 
all phases of opera, whether in con¬ 
cert form or in a full stage produc¬ 
tion. It added that engagements 
for artists in opera must be under 
terms of a basic agreement nego¬ 
tiated between the producer and 
AGMA, and that artists accepting 
dates without such agreement were 
subject to disciplinary action. 
Memo also reminded managers that 
commissions must be based on per¬ 
formance fees only, and that trans¬ 
portation should not be subject to 
commission charges. 

Different managers have put 
various interpretations on this ap¬ 
parently innocuous memo. Some 
see it as an extension of AGMA 
control, and an indirect step to 
line up the big symph orchs to use 
only AGMA choruses (instead of 
the amateur song groups they now 
mainly use). Others feel it’s an 
AGMA attempt to move in on 
smaller orchs. Majority feeling is 
that its main purpose is to cut 
down symphony and some opera 
commissions from 20% to 10%. 

Performance of operas in con¬ 
cert form by symph orchs, gen¬ 
erally only with a half dozen leads 
(sans chorus, etc.), has been on the 
sharp increase in recent seasons. 
Very few orchs have AGMA basic 
agreements, so that technically 
such.bookings are union violations 
(though always overlooked). 

AGMA isn’t interested in these 
relatively few bookings; it’s after 
the chorus agreements with the 
orchs. But symphs maintain they 
can’t afford union choruses, and if 
pressed, would cut choral works, 
costing AGMA soloists those dates. 

In the last few years, there’s 
been an upbeat in companies that 
only put on operas in concert form, 
with leads and a small chorus. 
These have AGMA basic pacts. 
Here, along with orch dates, the 
matter of commissions is involved. 


Golschmann Back With 
St. Louis Orch in ’56-’57 

St. Louis, April 3. 

With $150,000 of the $215,000 
sought for its maintenance budget 
in the kitty, St. Louis Symphony 
execs are readying for the 1956-57 
season with a policy of holding 
operating costs at the present level. 
Prez Edwin F. Spiegel said that 
efforts to raise the remaining $65,- 
000 will be made quickly in order 
that no hitches will develop in 
rounding out the complete plans. 

Vladimir Golschmann, vet con¬ 
ductor isn’t giving up the artistic 
directorship this spring, will baton 
10 concerts during his 26th con¬ 
secutive year on the podium. Six 
guest conductors will be Edwin 
McArthur, Jascha Horenstein, Igor 
Markevitch, Fernando Previtali, 
Harry Farbman and Georg Solti 
until mid-December, when Golsch¬ 
mann returns from guest shots 
abroad. 


N.Y. City Ballet Set After 
Chi Run for O’Seas Trek; 
State DepL’s 121G Assist 

The New York City Ballet will 
open a two-week engagement at 
the Chicago Opera today (Wed.), 
for a straight run with its full- 
length work. “Nutcracker” (not 
seen before in Chi). If biz warrants 
company will play “Nutcracker” 
there two extra weeks. It will 
then lay off till August, when it 
goes abroad for a three-month tour. 

Troupe will open in Salzburg 
Aug. 26 for three performances, 
then plays 10 days in Vienna at the 
newly-built Staatsoper. It will then 
dance in Italy, Switzerland, Ger¬ 
many, Denmark, Sweden, Norway 
and Finland, before returning to 
the U. S. in November. Group will 
be the first major U. S. troupe to 
dance in Scandinavia. 


Managements have been taking 
their regular 20% commission on 
* these dates, considering the book¬ 
ing as a concert rather than opera. 
The fees for these dates are usually 
less than concert bookings, any¬ 
way, and managements feel they 
can’t work at a 10% commish. 
Most managements charge a 10% 
fee on Met Opera dates (a few 
don’t charge for Met bookings at 
all), because it’s a full-season af¬ 
fair; the fee is smaller than at con¬ 
certs, but mainly due to the pres¬ 
tige involved, and the help a Met 
label gives in getting outside con¬ 
cert dates. The special 10% com¬ 
mish obtains with all staged opera 
setups. But managements claim 
they can’t afford to extend this 
situation. In the case of a Met 
Opera contract, one manager said 
it was worth 30% because of the 
amount of' details involved and 
time consumed. 


2 NEW O’SEAS MAESTROS 
FOR FALL FRISCO OPERA 

Two European conductors will 
make their U.S. debuts for the 
first time next fall, appearing with 
the San Francisco Opera in Sep^ 
tember-October. Lovro von Mata- 
cic, Munich Opera Co. conductor. 
Hungarian-born but now a Yugo 
citizen, will baton for “Walkure,” 
“Cosi fan Tutte,” “Boris” and per¬ 
haps “Aida.” 

Oliviero de Eabritiis, Italian con¬ 
ductor now with the Lisbon and 
Rome Operas, will do Italian rep- 
pertoire in Frisco. De Fabritiis 
has conducted in Mexico, but 
never in the States. Von Matacic 
hasn’t conducted in the Americas 
before. 

Pacting of both maestros was 
set by Siegfried Hearst, of the 
Herbert Barrett Mgt. 


BOLENDER'S COAST STINT 

N.Y. City Ballet dancer-choreog¬ 
rapher Todd Bolender will choreo 
dances for the Civic Light Opera’s 
“Rosalinda,” which will be pre¬ 
sented for four weeks each this 
spring-summer in Frisco and L.A. 

Bolender is taking dancers Jil- 
lana, Roland Vasquez and John 
Mandia from the N.Y. troupe with 
him. 


European tour was booked by 
Leon Leonidoff of Paris, and has 
the backing of the State Dept.'s In¬ 
ternational Exchange Program, 
which is contributing $121,000 to 
the trek. Gift will help on trans¬ 
portation as well as make possible 
paying dancers the regular N. Y. 
minimum scale, instead of the 
dancers taking drastic cuts in sal¬ 
aries as on previous overseas tours. 

Troupe expects to come out even 
on this overseas trek, between the 
State Dept.’s 121G and- Leonidoff’s 
guarantees. On its last two tours 
abroad, troupe also broke even, 
with the IEP giving them $50,000 
for last year’s junket and the Rock¬ 
efeller Foundation helping out on 
the one before. On the two trips 
prior to the two just mentioned, 
the troupe lost $87,000, as they 
weren't subsidized. Troupe figures 
on the overseas trek costing it $14,- 
000 a week. 

Since this year’s European trip 
was set up, the troupe has had a 
definite offer from Japan to visit 
there while abroad. This -would 
have to come before the tour’s 
Salzburg opener, and the troupe 
would need extra coin for traiispor- 
tation to Japan and then to Aus¬ 
tria. The coin isn’t available, so 
the Jap bid has Efeen dropped. 


Concert Bits 


Projection system now in use at 
the Met Opera, San Francisco 
Opera and the Broadway legiter, 
“The Lark.” was designed and 
developed by the Century Lighting 
Co. 


Soprano Inge Borkh will sing 
with the Chi Lyric Theatre this 
fall for the first time. 

American Guild of Musical 
Artists’ first public project in 
seven years to raise money for its 
Welfare Fund is Saturday’s (8) 
matinee performance of “La Bo- 
heme” by the N. Y. City Opera Co. 
in N. Y. 


Luben Vichey, who leads a d< 
ble life as a Met Opera bass a 
prez of National Artists Corp., sa 
the role of Guardiano in “La Foi 
del Destino” for the first time w 
the Metropolitan Monday (2). 

The San Antonio Sympho 
Orchestra has opened its 1956- 
maintenance fund campaign. G 
, of drive is $160,00.0. 


London Orch, With Boult, 
Lympany, to Tour Russia 

The London Philharmonic, under 
Sir Adrian Boult, and with Moura 
Lympany as piano soloist, will tour 
Russia in the fall, from Sept. 19 
to Oct. 4, the first western sym¬ 
phony to do so. Ibbs & Tillett, Lon¬ 
don concert management, set the 
deal. 

Miss Lympany, who left N.Y. 
last week (27) for a six-week con¬ 
cert tour of Europe, will come 
back to the U.S. lor summer dates, 
and then return to Europe in Sep¬ 
tember for more bookings. She'll 
play with the BBC symph, the 
Chartres orch, and the Budapest 
Philharmonic, and after the Buda 
concerts, head for Russia. 

St. Louis Orch Would Like 
To Sub Symph of Air Tour; 
Protests Mount on Ban 

St. Louis, April 3. 

The State Dept, has an offer 
from the St. Louis Symphony to 
replace the Symphony on the Air, 
whose trip abroad jvas recently 
cancelled on political grounds. 
Symphony execs sent wires to Mis¬ 
souri Sens. Stuart Symington and 
Thomas C. Hennings Jr., solicting 
their aid in getting a State Dept, 
greenlight for the local tqoters to 
go abroad. 

In the message to Symington 
and Hennings, symph society brass 
said the St. Louis orch “truly rep¬ 
resents America’s music culture at 
its finest and is certain to make 
our nation proud as its representa¬ 
tive abroad.” 


Protests Mount 

Protests keep mounting against 
the State Dept.’s action in nixing 
a Symphony of the Air overseas 
tour because of alleged Commy 
activities of some of. its members. 
The American Committee for Cul¬ 
tural Freedom, formed to oppose 
Commy infiltration among intel¬ 
lectuals, wrote Sec. of State John 
F. Dulles, asking that the ban be 
lifted, claiming the charges were 
vague and irrevelant. Musicians 
head James C. Petrillo also ap¬ 
pealed to Dulles for proof of any 
subversive influences in the orch. 

The N. Y. Times editorialized on 
the immense good the orch had 
done on its previous trip; also 
citecl the “unevaluated, unproven” 
charges, and insisted that the State 
Dept, “make a full and public ex¬ 
planation of all the reasons for 
cancelling the tour.” 

Orch officials held a meeting 
with State Dept, execs last week 
on the ban. Government declined 
to - reinstate the tour. This time 
the reasons given were: (1) It was 
difficult to make arrangements for 
concert facilities, and (2) feelings 
in areas of the Near East were 
tense. 


Longhair Disk Reviews 


Beethoven: Symphonies No. 8 &- 
9 (Angel). A fine, robust, ringing 
version of the Ninth (Choral) by 
the Philharmonia under von Kara¬ 
jan, with stalwart soloists in Elisa¬ 
beth Schwarzkopf, Otto Edelmann 
and others. Attractive Eighth on 
fourth side. 

Weill: Music for the Stage & 
Copland: Music for Movies (MGM). 
Excerpts from Weill’s stage works 
are appealing and impressive, 
especially the haunting songs from 
“Johnny Johnson.” Copland’s pic 
scores, away from the screen, with 
a sameness of thematic. pattern, 
are less successful, except for the 
poignant “Grover’s Corners,” from 
“Our Town.” Arthur Winograd’s 
M-G-M Orch does a capable job. 

Bruch & Wieniawski Concertos 
No. 2 (Victor). Lesser-known sec¬ 
ond Bruch is very agreable, lyric 
music, though without the emo¬ 
tional strength of the No. 1. Jascha 
Heifetz plays both works with his 
usual skill and aplomb. 

Schubert: Symphony No. 6 (Lon¬ 
don). Lesser-heard but no less 
appealing, melodic symph, well- 
played by the Bamberg orch under 
Keilberth. 

Stravinsky: Violin Concerto, Jcu 
de. Cartes, Duo Concertant (Vox). 
Good, grouping of neo - classic 
Stravinsky. Concerto' is lean, 
strongly rhythmic and inviting in 
the skillful ‘performance of Ivry 
Gitlis. 

Mozart: Symphony No. 34 & 
Schubert: Symphony No. 3 (Decca). 
Good readings by the Berlin Phil¬ 
harmonic under Markevitch. 

1 .Bran* ' 


Inside Stuff-Concerts 

Since the death of vet manager Charles L. Wagner last month, trade 
has been interested in whethei his longtime touring opera project 
would be continued. Several people have been interested in a con¬ 
tinuation of the setup, and three separate negotiations are presently 
under way. If a deal were set, however, it wouldn’t be for next sea¬ 
son, but for the season after that. Meantime, Ed Snowden, as Wagner 
executor, has released local managers from Wagner contracts for next 
season. Snowden, longtime with Wagner, in recent seasons has been 
occupied with the tv business, located at Young & Rubicam. 


National Council of the Met Opera will finance next season’s new 
production of Offenbach’s “La Perichole,” estimated to cost between 
$65,000 and $80,000. This is the Council’s biggest such Met project 
yet. It sponsored this season’s “Don Pasquale,” which cost $35,000, 
and the ballet “Soiree,” which cost another $15,000. East season, the 
Council earmarked $40,000 towards the new Strauss “Arabella,” then 
assumed the full production cost of $52,500. It also paid for the new 
“Barber of Seville” production of a few seasons ago. 

The Halle Orchestra, to be presented here by Stephen Rose, has had 
to postpone its spring, 1957, tour due to domestic commitments in 
England, celebrating the 100th anniversary of the orchestra. They are 
now expected to make their American debut under baton of Sir John 
Barbirolli, in the fall of 1957. William Morris Agency will book. 

Rumored also that tour was snafued when British musicians union 
upped the scales, knocking the budget, out of kilter. Managers who 
signed for this tour get first crack at the next. 

The N.Y. Post is up to its anti-longhair tricks again. Music critic 
Harriett Johnson’s review of the Met Opera's “Parsifal” was chopped 
by a third last Monday (26). Tuesday’s (27) news story and pic on the 
N. Y. City Opera’s season opening was dropped after the first edition. 
Thursday’s (29) review of the NYCO opener, “Troilus and Cressida,” 
was also dropped after the first edition. 


Hanya Holm, who choreographed dances for the new Broadway mu¬ 
sical hit, “My Fair Lady,” has hired Els Grelinger, of the Dance No¬ 
tation Bureau, to notate the “Lady” dances in the Labanotation sys¬ 
tem. Plans are to copyright them, as Miss Holm did with her “Kiss 
Me Kate” choreography after she had it copied down. 


Publisher Alfred A. Knopf attacked the “foul, nay poisonous air” in 
Carnegie Hall, in a letter to the N. Y. Herald Tribune last week. “That 
people haven’t died in their seats there during the last 20 years has 
always amazed me,” he wrote. 


Russ’ Philly Orch Bid is 2d State Dept 
Snafu; Why Can’t They Take Boston? 


S.F. CELLIST TO HAWAII 
ORCH; WIFE AS ITS MGR. 

San Francisco, April 3. 

Robert Fisher has left the San 
Francisco Symphony’s cello sec¬ 
tion for a two-year contract as fea¬ 
tured cellist with the Honolulu 
Symphony. 

His wife, Genevieve, former 
manager of the Salt Lake City 
Symphony has signed a contract to 
manage the Honolulu organization. 
They left for Hawaii last week. - 

Russian Artists Come In* 
Threes; Youngest Yet, 
Cellist, Bowing in U.S. 

Soviet cellist Mstislav Rostropo¬ 
vich flew in to N.Y. Monday (2), 
direct from Moscow, to make his 
U.S. debut in recital at Carnegie 
Hall tonight (Wed.) under Colum¬ 
bia Artists auspices. He’s the third 
top Red artist to bow here this 
season (pianist Emil Gilels and 
violinist David Oistrakh were the 
others), and the youngest (at 28) 
Russ artist to appear here in Soviet 
history. A native of Baku, Azer¬ 
baijan, and winner of the 195T 
Stalin Prize, he’s top prof at 
the Moscow Tchaikovsky Con¬ 
servatory too (where 'Oistrakh and 
Gilels also teach). 

Visit was arranged by accident 
two months ago, when Columbia 
prez Frederick C. Schang queried 
the Soviets on an artist available 
for summer dates, and was told 
there was none free then, but that 
Rostropovich, their leading cellist, 
could come in April instead. 
Cellist has been concertizing ID 
years, he said in an interview, 
Monday, and has played abroad, in 
western and eastern Europe, since 
1947. His father was a cellist, and. 
his wife is Galina Vishnevskaya, 
dramatic soprano lead at the 
Bolshoi Theatre. Both cellist and 
wife are Honored Artists of the 
Soviet Union. 

Rostropovich has written works 
for the cello (he studied both com¬ 
position and cello, while Shostako¬ 
vich taught him instrumentation), 
but hfe’s composed more pieces for 
piano than for his own instrument. 
These include two piano concertos. 
Rostropovich will make his orches¬ 
tral bow with the N.Y. Philhar¬ 
monic on April 19, when he’ll give 
the U.S. preem of a Prokofiev cello 
concerto composed especially for 
him. “I like the concerto,” he said, 
“and think it will be a success.” 


Washington, April .3. 

Uncle Sam’s goodwill cultural 
exchange program became snarled 
last week in a second symphony 
orchestra headache. Symphony of 
Air hassle (see separate story), was 
the first. 

This one involves the Philadel¬ 
phia Orchestra, which has been in¬ 
vited to tour the Soviet Union in 
May. Orch asked the State Dept, 
for from $110,000 to $120,000 for 
expenses to and from the Russ 
border. Russians will pick up the 
tab for the time spent inside the 
Iron Curtain, as was done for 
“Porgy and Bess.” 

1 However, State Dept, can’t make 
up its mind and is inclined to say 
“No,” just as it did to the “Porgy 
and Bess” troupe, whose expenses 
to the entrance to the Iron Curtain 
were privately provided. A State 
Dept, spokesman explained: 

1. The Russians are smart propa¬ 
gandists and use our cultural peo¬ 
ple as “a weapon to beat us with.” 
When “Porgy” toured Russia and 
Poland, it was ’ pointed out, propa¬ 
gandists told people in those coun¬ 
tries that the conditions portrayed 
in the opera were typical of Negro 
life in America. 

2. Stajte Dept, sent the Phila¬ 
delphia Orchestra and Symphony 

of the Air abroad in 1955. This 
year, it has contracted to send the 
Boston Symphony to Western Eu¬ 
rope. Requests for Government 
financing of American orchestras 
abroad .have come from all parts 
of the country. If the eastern met¬ 
ropolitan centers get selected all 
the time, Congressmen from other 
parts of the country will raise the 
roof. 

3. If the Russians want an 
American orchestra, why npt the 
Boston? It will be playing in Ber¬ 
lin this year. That’s on the edge 
of the Iron Curtain. It would save 
a considerable sum of money. 

The Philadelphia Orchestra re¬ 
quest came just after the State 
'Dept, had refused to revoke can¬ 
cellation of a second Asiatic tour 
for the Symphony of the Air. Trip 
was nixed because of charges that 
the unit includes several alleged 
Commies and Red sympathizers. 


R. 1. OPERA SNARL 

American Guild of Musical Art¬ 
ists has placed the Rhode Island 
Opera Guild, and its artistic direc¬ 
tor and prez, Danilo Sciotti, on its 
unfair list. n( 

Guild skedded a performance oc 
“Barber of Seville” last Oct. 
then cancelled the showing & na 
didn’t pay the artists. 




Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


HSSiETr 


LITERATI 


61 



N. Y. Libel Bill Proposed 
A bill sponsored by Senate Ma- 
iority Leader Walter J. Mahoney, 
if Buffalo, to strike out a provi¬ 
sion that a civil action cannot be 
maintained for libel in publication 
ol public proceedings other than 
iudicial, legislative, and official 
Proceedings, is before Gov. Aver¬ 
in Harriman. The measure, which 
would take effect immediately, 
amends the Civil Practice Act. 

A similar proposal, introduced 
by Senator Mahoney and Minority 
Leader Eugene J. Bannigan, of 
Brooklyn, passed the Upper House 
last year, but died in the Lower 
House. _- 

Banshees* 20th Ann! 

The Banshees, organization of 
N Y. newspapermen, marks its 
20th anni April 24 with a luncheon 
at the Waldorf-Astoria Hotel, N.Y. 
Group will host various news ex¬ 
ecs who’ll be in Gotham for the 
annual American Newspaper Pub¬ 
lishers’ Assn, convention. 

Slated to appear for the enter¬ 
tainment program, via co-chair¬ 
men Bradley Kelly and Barry 
Faris, are Andy Griffith, Gisele 
McKenzie, Jack Benny, Perry 
Como, Stanley Holloway, Gordon 
Dilworth, Rod McLennan and a 
Meyer Davis Orch. Emceeing the 
event will be Arthur “Bugs” Baer. 

Cue on S.F. Chronicle 
The San Francisco Chronicle has 
contracted to buy a new press for' 
almost $1,000,000, Charles Thieriot, 
publisher, said last week. R. Hoe 
Co., of New York, is building the 
electronically operated units to the 
Chronicle’s specifications, Thieriot 
said. It will take almost a year to 
build, assemble and install the 
press. 

Purchase quashes rumors which 
sprung up in February—when Roy 
W. Howard was in Frisco -r- that 
morning Chronicle would merge 
with Seripps-Howard’s afternoon 
News.. 


it as 50c per copy. Among other 
points cited are use of large size 
photographs and devoting its edi¬ 
torial matter solely to farming— 
“no fashions, recipes, fiction or 
child care.” 

Mag’s editorial' staff, secretary 
Green points out, “was selected on 
this basis: (1) the individual had 
to own, or manage or live on his 
own farm; (2) his education had to 
be in a cultural field other than 
that of'the founder (Aron M. Ma- 
thieu who is FQ publisher today) 
and the other editors ... we also 
attempted to hire editors with 
some independent income of their 
own so that they would continue 
to work on FQ because they chose 
to rather than because they had 
to.” 

Grossing slightly over 1^1,000,000 
annually, FQ is owned by an 88r 
year-old Cincinnati printing.. com¬ 
pany which has been in the hands 
of the Rosenthal family through¬ 
out that time. Its 17-man staff is 
headed by editor-in-chief Ralph J. 
McGinnis who was the first man 
hired by publisher Mathieu. FQ’s 
goal: 300,000 circulation and to 
sell 50% of its market-^-the higher 
producing farmer. 


Holt’s No. 5 Editor 
Expansion program of Henry 
Holt & Co. sees Stanley Colbert 
added as a fifth editor under 
Howard Cady. 

Colbert has been- in public rela¬ 
tions and also with the Sterling 
Lord literary agency. 


New British Sunday Sheet 
A new British Sunday paper, 
which will be produced partly in 
color, with an initial print ordef 
of 1,000,000, is to be launched next 
month by. Hulton Press. It is 
entitled the Sunday Star and the 
Rev. Marcus Morris has been 
named editor. 

Roderick Mann has "left the 
Sunday Graphic to join the new 
sheet as columnist and Harry 
Deverson has been appointed art 
editor. 


Rejection Slip Treatise 

National publications’ policies on 
rejection slips are subject of a 
survey being conducted by News 
Workshop, a quarterly published 
by N.Y.U.’s Dept, of Journalism. 
Results of the study will be dis¬ 
closed in a yarn soon to run in 
News Workshop. 

School plans to reproduce some 
sample rejection slips and also ex¬ 
pects to spotlight those publica¬ 
tions which make “special efforts 
to assist or advise writers whose 
work wavers between the ‘check’ 
and the ‘slip’.” 


Fort Knox On The Farm 

While the average farmer may 
he suffering from overproduction 
*hd a declining income, his prob¬ 
lem isn’t reflected in the healthy 
condition of The Farm Quarterly 
Which observed its 10th anniver- 
* ar y wt month. For this national 
publication, which a staff of only 
jy People.gets out, has forged to 
the top in its field with a net paid 
circulation of 220,000 for its 
spring issue. Same edition also 
carries 113 pages of farm adver- 
using, said to be twice the amount 
tami lineage appearing in the 
largest of other farm papers. 

I rime factors in the mag’s suc- 
cess, according to Farm Quarterly 
ecntonal secretary Betty Green, 
F e its policy of exclusively reach- 
oaa x 0se farmers who* gross $10,- 
yP°. to $150,000 annually from" 
xneir farms, printing the publica¬ 
tion on slick paper with four col- 
01 s, issuing it quarterly to coin- 
i (te with the seasons, and-selling 


On Mending Books 
Brooks Byrne, one of the few 
women transmitter engineers, who 
left radio for library work some 
years ago, is between covers now 
with “Mending Books Is Fun” 
(Burgess), a do-it-yourselfer. 

The author was ^transmitter chief 
of WESX, Lynn, Mass, (she lives in 
nearby Lynn) during WW II and 
after 1949 an engineer at WSKI 
(BAC network), Montpelier, Vt., 
doubling as continuity chief and 
femme commentator; in the ’30s a 
writer for “Ave Maria” hour, 
among other chores. 


‘Lord’ ing It 

“Living Like a Lord,” by John 
Godley VI, Lord Kilbracken 
(Houghton, Mifflin; $3.50), is the 
jaunty autobiog of a 34-year-old 
Irish coronet-wearer whose “living 
in the grand manner” includes ex¬ 
periences as a schoolboy bookie, 
flyer with the RAF, treasure 
hunter, journalist, and more re¬ 
cently as an extra and then as a 
script writer for John Huston on 
the filming of “Moby Dick.” 

Two chapters devoted to God- 
ley’s work with Huston supply an 
amusing profile of the director. 
Tome is done good-naturedly, and 
is ideal for rainy weekends or the 
guest room. Down. 


CHATTER 

Midr-European Press Inc. char¬ 
tered to conduct a newspapers and 
publications business in N.Y. 

Marian Sanford, onetime Wom¬ 
an’s Home Companion travel ed, 
joined the Trans-Marine Tours, 
N. Y. 

John Ciardi, associate professor 
of English at Rutgers U., named 
poetry editor of The Saturday Re¬ 
view. 

Clifford Davis’ tv pillar in Lon¬ 
don Daily Mirror also being used 
in Scot Daily Record, now under 
Mirror banner. 

James Seymour Adam, feature 
editor of Glasgow Evening Times, 
named as editor of Weekly Scots¬ 
man, Edinburgh, replacing Robert 
Y6&ts* 

Bill Ornstein’s first novel, “The 
Pistachio Touch,” has been entered 
ih the Harper’s Grand Prize Novel 
Competition by his agent, Jack 
Lewis, of American Literary Ex¬ 
change. Book runs over 250,000 
words and took the M-G-M writer 
two years to create. 

The April Atlantic magazine 
carries an article by Arthur Mil¬ 
ler titled “The Family in Modern 
Drama,” wherein he states that 
modern dramatic forms express 
human relationships primarily 
familiar at one extreme, or pri¬ 
marily social at the other. 

“No Time For Sergeants,” Mac 
Hyman’s book, tv and legit click, 
now has 1,000,000 paperbacks in 
print under the New American Li¬ 
brary (Signet) banner. Book, to 
which Warners has the picture 
rights, went back to press seven 
days after Its first Signet printing. 

Utilizing the punchline of an old 
barroom story( “Who Struck 
John?” as his book title, N. Y. 
Post sportswriter Jimmy Cannon’s 
third book will be so tagged when 
Dial Press publishes It April 17, 


CONTINENTAL FILM REVIEW 

Th« only Magazine of lt« kind In English 
Authoritative Information on European Film Production 
superbly Illustrated. .Used by British, American and International Distributors 
Monthly; 25c. Subs. 1 Year $3 (Post Free)/ Air Mall $2.1# extra 

EURAF PUBLISHING CO* (LONDON) LTD.. 137 Blockstock Road 
LONDON N.4. England 


the first day of the baseball sea¬ 
son. It’s an anthology of Cannon’s 
sports columns, which, besides 
sports, Include pieces on his N. Y. 
childhood, women, parties, etc. 

“Judith Hearne,” novel by Irish- 
born Canadian Brian Moore, will 
be published soon in the U.S. by 
Atlantic-Little, Brown. It has won 
tht Beta Sigma Phi award for the 
best first novel by a Canadian in 
1955. Three weeks after the Irish 
Times praised it, the book was 
banned in Eire. (Moore comes from 
Belfast, which is still British). 
Former Montreal Gazette staffer 
came to Canada only eight years 
ago. 


Gotham Tax Grab 

Continued from page 1 -. 

briefly to seek information about 
it from a staff accountant. Then 
he instructed that queries be 
mailed to the department. 

From various sources, both in 
the legit trade and among City 
officials, it appears that the new 
tax is to be collected on the theory 
that the house share of the feross 
is actually “rent.” Although rent 
for realty is not subject to sales 
tax, City officials argue that a legit 
theatre’s split of the b.o. covers 
rental of “personal property.” 

It’s claimed, that the theatre 
seats, lighting, etc., are “personal 
property,” as distinct from “real 
property,” and are thus subject to 
sales tax. That apparently applies 
despite the fact that the lighting, 
scenery, costumes and properties 
belong to or are rented by the 
show rather than the theatre. 
Moreover, a sales tax is collected 
on the rental fees involved, or, in 
most cases, on the purchase price. 

One tax official with some con¬ 
tacts with legit conceded that only 
a portion of the theatre’s share of 
the gross constitutes rental, . but 
the rest covers the theatre’s ex¬ 
penses for stagehands, musicians, 
boxoffice men, share of advertis¬ 
ing, staff, lighting, heat, insurance, 
etc. However he expressed the 
view that theatre managements 
should hereafter keep the two cat¬ 
egories separate, since the “rental” 
part of the revenue is subject to 
the sales tax. 

One tax rep said the sales levy 
is 3% on the theatre’s share, and 
another said it’s VA>%. However, a 
theatre manager who had been 
contacted by City tax collectors de* 
dared it’s his understanding that 
the bite will be 3% of a 2V6% 
evaluation on the the'atre property. 
“I told them to send us a state¬ 
ment on it, and' then we’ll decide 
what to do,” he reported. 

Since the theatre’s share under 
the usual straight-play contracts is 
30% of the net weekly receipts, 
that would be $7,500 on a $25,000 
gross, on which the saies tax would 
be $225 a week. For a musical, 
under average sharing terms, the 
theatre’s end is apt to be around 
$13,500 on a $50,000 gross, which 
would involve a sales tax of $405 a 
week. That would be in addition 
to the City’s 5% admissions tax, 
which would come to $1,250 a 
week on the straight play and $2,- 
500 a week 6n the musical. 


Diskeries’ Take 

—^ Continued from page 1 ; 

vided more than one-shot hit com¬ 
petition. Dot has been consistently 
on the hit lists for over a year. 
However, the continuing expansion 
of the disk market has still made 
it possible for all companies to 
make more coin. 

The business through conven¬ 
tional retail channels has also 
grown despite the influx of disk 
club operations. Several of the 
clubs, such as the Book-of-the- 
Month Club operations, the Music 
Appreciation Records and the 
Metropolitan Opera Guild, Concert 
Hall Society and, more recently, 
Columbia’s own LP Record Club, 
are major disk outlets. Although 
some diskers have voiced fear that 
the disk clubs would cut into reg¬ 
ular retail biz, that has not yet 
come to pass. 

The only concern of some major 
execs today is that the retail out¬ 
lets will not keep pace with the 
anticipated growth of the- disk ing 
dustry. In the place, it’s believed 
that the 7,000 disk outlets now in 
operation are not sufficient to 
cover the nation, and secondly, it's 
felt that many of the 7,000 outlets 
are using antiquated merchandis¬ 
ing methods. , 


SCULLY’S SCRAPBOOK 

:By Frank Scully j -+++ + » mm ++44 m ;: 

Palm Springs. 

Sure he’s good, but does he go over in Braille? 

Unless the agent of a writer, entertainer or even a popular square 
can answer that question with a rousing “Terrific!,” I’m not taking 
anybody’s word for how good the guy is. 

I’ve got a public, too. But I haven’t got orie in Braille. I thought 
I had, but I don’t seem to do as well as I used to when elevated to 
the raised-letter set. 

One time the blind and I were so close that a group of them trudged 
and trolleyed eight miles to give me $6 for a campaign I was 
waging in Hollywood at the time. I found that their state supervisor 
had previously been head of a state reform school and after making 
the transfer had no new material. He treated the blind as‘ if they 
were inmates of a reform school. 

So I went after the rogue in no uncertain language and saw that 
there were some changes made. I had blind friends from one end of 
the state to the other after that. But I haven’t got them any longer, 
apparently. 

Oh Sure! Blame the Copy Desk 

Maybe I’m edited wrong. For Braille, I mean. Maybe the transla¬ 
tors don’t pick the right paragraphs. Maybe they step on my gags 
or kill them entirely. 

It couldn’t be the subject matter. The one that got me slugged was 
a surefire subject. It was juvenile delinquency. I thought everyone 
was against that. I didn’t see how I could miss. I even waited until 
all the childless pundits had had their say before tossing the Scully 
Circus, j.g., to the lions. 

Maybe I didn’t make it clear that I was not against juves but was 
against delinks. I explained that I had held off as long as I had 
from discussing the subject because I had something to hide. (Kids, 
that’s what I had to hide.) 

What seemed to set my former Braille public against me was the 
fact that when my kids viewed a.particularly brilliant lecture deadpan 
and fishy-eyed, I seemed to have lost my temper on occasion and let 
them have it. I said right out loud that I spanked them. It seems 
that was the naughty word. That got me compared to Hitler. <1 didn’t 
know he was a father and I didn’t know he spanked kids. I thought 
he burned them.) 

Building to a Crash 

I first tried out the subject in a little piece in The Way of St. Francis. 
Nobody objected to it there, so I went at it from a gayer, broader 
angle and built it up for punch lines and laughs for Variety. I be¬ 
lieve I used “The Blackboard Jungle” as a springboard. 

The Catholic Digest bought the reprint rights from Variety and cut 
the piece back in the manner of these specialists in dehydration and 
concentrates. It was this version, I suspect, that was translated into 
Braille. 

It’s a proud feeling to be translated for those who can read but can’t 
see. Actually, I didn’t know when I was well off. In a cloistered 
corner of Variety you may not be read, but then you are not roasted, 
barbecued and served up like a missionary on a cannibal isle. It’s 
only when you get translated into Braille that you get letters like this: 

“Attention of Frank Scully, Would-Be Dictator and Enemy of Grow¬ 
ing Children. 

“Wait till you read further. I'm referring of course to that article 
you wrote recently entitled, ‘I Spank.’ According to ybur miget (I’m 
not going to fool with her spelling until I get up from the floor, F. S.) 
mind, unless children are beaten with a slipper whenever they dis¬ 
please an old tyrant father, and I daresay that’s most of the time,' they 
become delinquent. Well, that’s just bunk. I never read such trash. 
Your ambition is to make a consentration camp out of every home in 
our wonderful country; but your efforts will be in vain. 

“May I remind you, frankie-boy, that this is America the free, and 
not Russia. In this country children have rights too, which should be 
respected. I daresay that is not so in the Scully concentration camp. 

\Vho? Me? 

“This is the second such letter I have ever written in my life. The 
first was last spring to another crackpot like yourself. And I’ll give 
the devil his due. He did mention that children needed love, kindness 
and sympathetic understanding. But you doff’t even,believe in such 
things. Your theory is like that of Hitler, Stalin and all dictators: ‘My 
way or none.’ 

“I’ll be willing to wager there isn't much fun or laughter in the 
Scyjly camp. At least not when the Big Boss, Pop, is around. You 
brag about being hard on young folks and are critical of those decent 
parents who give their children everything they want. Any normal 
parent would give his children everything they want within reason. I 
know several parents and their children are not delinquent. In fact 
it’s bulleys like you who drive children to delinquency.” 

At this point I must pause for station identification. I didn’t realize 
the letter was so long. It Is typed, double-spaced, on both sides of 
two pages. The second page slugged me from every conceivable direc¬ 
tion, believed my children had more brains than I, and because I 
couldn’t take their superiority and listen attentively,' .1 beat them 
with a slipper. 

She went on to give me some more of the same and then pulled 
up with, “But I must remember that I am talking to a beast." She be¬ 
grudged the stamp and paper she was using to berate me, and “while 
I shall never know your reaction at least you will know that one human, 
being doesn’t agree with the stupid ideas of yours. You sure do think 
well of yourself. If conseit were consumption as the saying goes I 
don’t know where you would be . . . You are so careful of your precious 
hand, but you take delight in hurting your kids so I would like to hear 
of some man bigger than yourself or even your own size give you a 
sound thrashing with a horse whip. My only regret is that I can’t 
have the privilege . . . Anybody who refers to children as brats should 
have his mouth smacked. Why did you get married, since you hate 
kids so? I feel very sorry for your kids. I’ll bet they won’t get half 
enough to eat.” 

She wished to suggest that I mind my own business and “quit writ¬ 
ing about things about which you know nothing." 

As a clincher, she pointed out that the late and nfuch beloved Father 
Flanagan didn’t believe in corporal punishment, and he was able to 
conquer the toughest kids by love and kindness. “But then he was not 
a dictator.” 

She wrote that she knew there were many errors in her letter’ but 
she hoped I could read it all, as she wanted me to see myself as others 
see me. “I can’t see what I am writing, as I have been blind since 
a short time after birth. I don’t know why I am telling you this, ex¬ 
cept that I am not signing my name. That dosen’t matter, as I want 
no personal contact with a dictator. I shall not even give you my 
address. 

Somewhere she wrote, “I am not a parent. In fact, I’m not even 
married, but I am a lover of children and also of justice.” I think 
she also wrote that she was 72. The envelope was stamped “Red 
Bank,” which is not the treasurer’s office in Moscow but, as I under¬ 
stand it, a mackerel pier along the New Jersey coast. 

As the chances of this being translated into Braille and thus get¬ 
ting back to my . Red Bank public are practically nil, I suppose there 
would not be much point to telling her that among the things Father 
Flanagan once said to Mme. Scully when we were visiting him at 
Boys Town about 15 years ago was, "Alice, you’re not half strict 
enough with these children. And, Frank, you should not let the,dis¬ 
ciplining of them wholly up to Alice.” 


62 


CHATTER 


Pfi&IETr 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


Broadway 

Charles Rosmarin, RKO's Euro¬ 
pean general sales manager, aired 
in from Paris yesterday (Tues.) for 
homeoffice powwows. 

Roger Gimbel, NBC, producer, 
engaged to Mrs. Nancy Strauss 
Davis. Both have been married 
and divorced previously. 

Claude C. Philippe back from 
his seasonal Easter trip to Paris 
to be with his wife, Comedie Fran- 
caise actress Mony Dalmes. 

Paul Derval, owner and director 
of the Folies Bergere. in from 
Paris today (Wed.) on the S.S. Li- 
berte accompanied by Mrs. Derval. 

VictQr Saville, indie film pro¬ 
ducer; violinist Nathan Milstein 
and designer Cecil Beaton sailing 
for Europe today (Wed.) on the 
Queen Elizabeth. 

Arthur S. Lyons, back in the 
agency business, reestablishing the 
L&L firm name as when his 
brother, Sam Lyons, was alive. 
Latter died in 1941. 

Jack Hylton is on a flying 
quickie for two weeks of o.o.'ing 
the Broadway shows. London pro¬ 
ducer now has five shows concur¬ 
rently in the West End. 

Phil Wyman and Bob Sanders, 
co-owners of Showcase, Rehearsal 
Center and Wyman Studio, have 
taken over the Malin Studio on 
West 46th Street and renamed it 
Variety Arts. 

CBS-TV v.p. Robert M. Weitman 
named chairman of the presidents’ 
luncheon of the Cinema Lodge of 
B’nai B’rith to be held at the 
Sheraton Astor April 24. Luncheon 
will honor retiring prexy Max E. 
Youngstein and welcome newly- 
elected prez Robert K. Shapiro. 

Hoagy Carmichael and the Wal¬ 
dorf couldn't come to terms, so the 
booking to follow Ray Bolger, who 
opened Easter Monday at the Em¬ 
pire Room, is still open. Gordon 
MacRae’s picture commitment 
forced cancellation of that April 
30 four-week stanza, ' previously 
booked. 

Gene Leone, who once before 
bought (and later sold) the next- 
door President Theatre (formerly 
the Edythe Totten Playhouse), has 
bought the house again, this time 
from the successor owner, the 
School of the American Ballet, and 
will convert it as an entrance to 
Leone’s Restaurant, long a West 
48th St. landmark. 

Like every newspaper office 
Variety has its own intra-office 
gags and ad libs. One of them is, 
"They sure must read every semi¬ 
colon,” judging by the eager- 
beaver readers who are quick to 
point out any erratum, even when 
it’s palpably one of spelling (such 
as "Minc'heH” Smith for Winchell 
Smith, in the Golden Jubilee Edi¬ 
tion, obviously a printer’s typo, 
rather one of ignorance). How¬ 
ever, there’s no douibletalking this 
one: once and for all, and this is 
official,-' Karyl Norman was "The 
Creole Fashion Plate,” and not 
Francis Renault as erratumed by 
Variety in one of the Fred Allen 
reminiscence stories at the time of 
his death. Renault’s billing was 
"The Slave of Fashion.” 


Lisbon 


By Lewis Garyio 
(Tel. 32479) 

New Music Quartet from U.S. 
started from Oporto on tour of,the 
Peninsula Iberica to crix raves. 

"Love of Four Colonels” was re¬ 
prised at the Teatro Avenida to 
better returns than on its first run. 

Chinese revue star Mai Lan ar¬ 
rived here from Paris to appear 
in revue now in rehearsal at the 
Colieu Theatre. 

"Arsenic and Old Lace” ended 
six-week run at Teatro Trindade 
and was followed by J. B. Priest¬ 
ley’s "I Was Here Before.” 

Teatro Nacional is prepping G. 
B. Shaw’s "Saint Joan” starring 
Mariana Rey Monteiro for presen¬ 
tation. Francisco Ribeiro is pro¬ 
ducing. 

Tony Teixera, former ballet 
dancer of San Carlos Opera House, 
working at Ritz nitery with part¬ 
ner Mary. Giving repertory of 
Portuguese folk dance. 

Marquis de Cuevas Ballet Co. 
will appear at the San Carlos 
Opera House for two weeks in May. 
It will play the Liceo Opera House 
m April and Teatro Madrid in 
Madrid late in May. 


Philadelphia 


By Jerry Gaghan 
Don Philips and Buddy Le^ 
comedy team, splitting, with Le 
moving to Coast. 

Harry James band booked 
Sciolla’s (May 14). 

. Gypsy Rose Lee at the Erie 
cial Club Easter weekend. 

George Britton to cut an LP 
Israeli songs on Folkways labe 
Spike Jones booked for 
Allentown Fair as part of r 
policy plans for,the summer. 
Freddie Bell and the Bellb 


pacted by Wing Records following 
click in "Rock Around Clock.” 

A Theatre-In-The-Round being 
built on Route 202 near Wilming¬ 
ton to operate on yearly basis. 

Philadelphia Orch left $100,000 
under will of Frances Wister, 
prexy of orchestra’s women com¬ 
mittee, 

Earl "Fatha” Hines moved his 
family from Philly to Los Angeles 
where he has a night club contract 
and radio show. 

Efrem Zimbalist’s first opera, 
“Landara,” will be given world 
preem at the Academy of Music 
April 6 with a repeat performance 
following Monday. 

Harry Kammerer, assistant sec¬ 
retary of Musicians Union Local 
77, for the last 16 years, resigned 
because of ill health. Charles Mc¬ 
Connell Jr. succeeds. 

Duke Ellington orch will play 
two night performances April 16 
at the Doylestown-Central Bucks 
County High School. Proceeds go 
to aid underprivileged children. 


San Francisco 

By Bill Steif 

On location at Frisco Airport: 
Doris Day in "Julie.” 

Flack ' Hanns Kolmar flew to 
Hawaii to do advance work, for 
Larry Mack. 

Hugh Marlowe returned to "An¬ 
niversary Waltz” cast at the Al¬ 
cazar. replacing Russell Nype. 

Rusty Draper got his solid gold 
record of “Gambler’s Guitar” for 
passing the million-sales mark. 

Pat Yankee departed the Go- 
mans’ "Gay Nineties” after four 
years, and is heading for Holly¬ 
wood. 


Sagebrushes 

mm—mmm Continued from page 1 
influence other film-makers to 
wrestle with similar situations. Not 
right off, anyways. 

Little by little, progress was be¬ 
ing made, almost imperceptibly. 
Sex, it was discovered, had its 
place in the west but it had to 
come naturally—sort of brought 
into the that-a-way tales 'with 
some degree qf plausibility. This 
presented a problem centering on 
how to make a femme excite the 
Galahad of Gulch Junction if all 
her endowments are covered in 
the Victorian garb of frontier days. 

The answer has been found: 
Make her a squaw. 

Hollywood has about 60 sage¬ 
brush spectaculars upcoming and 
you can bet your boots and sad¬ 
dle that Indian lasses will not be 
left alone in the woods. And no 
need to compromise with authen¬ 
ticity because these daughters of 
Sitting Bull can be depicted in 
unencumbering buckskin skirts or 
similar quick-getaway attire. And 
it's fitting that they’d bathe in the 
stream al fresco. From this sort 
of business it isn’t difficult to 
segue into "an exciting saga of 
primitive passions torn from the 
flaming pages of history.” (Quote 
borrowed.) 

A disturbing note might be 
added, though. Metro’s "Last 
Hunt” and Bryna’s "Indian Fight¬ 
er” camp out just a short time 
apart and each had Pocahontas 
types doing the unclad splash bit. 
This could be overdone (?). 

Film companies are lavishing 
hefty investments on westerns in 
line with the overall trend toward 
more and more production values. 

Top names, color and a wide¬ 
screen process are now becoming 
a definite part of the oaters from 
most principal studios, unlike the 
past when the sagebrush sagas 
were at the bottom of the produc¬ 
tion rung. For the most part, 
small-scale production of any type 
simply doesn’t go hand in hand 
with the new industry economy. 


House Reviews 


(Temple Bar 5041/9952) 

Hal Hackett, Official Films prez, 
in town for confabs with his Brit¬ 
ish reps. 

The Folies Bergere revue at the 
Prince of Wales celebrates its first 
anni next Monday (9). 

Winifred Atwell closed deal with 
ITA for series of 45-minute tele 
shows. First is due April 21. 

Harry Green, American come¬ 
dian and longtime London resi¬ 
dent, starts a new BBC-TV series 
April 13. 

Fess Parker, here for personals 
_.i "Davy Crockett,” guest of 
honor at a Dorchester reception 
yesterday (Tues.). 

In from New York: Robert S. 
Wolff, RKO Radio topper; British 
film actor Jack Hawkins, and Ed¬ 
ward R. Lewis, head of Decca 
Records. 

The Albany Club, taken over by 
Jack Hylton a few months ago 
and used as setting for some of 
his tv programs, shuttered over the 
weekend. 

Aidan Crawley, who recently re¬ 
signed as . editor-in-chief of Inde¬ 
pendent Television News, inked 
two-year pact with BBC-TV to 
handle current affairs programs. 

Harry Secombe, who stars in up¬ 
coming Palladium revue, returns 
next week frdm a Bermuda holi¬ 
day. Beryl Reid, who will be fea¬ 
tured in same show, just back from 
Tyrol. 

Anthony Steel, whose engage¬ 
ment to Anita Ekberg w5s an¬ 
nounced in Hollywood last week, 
was profiled on the commercial tv 
show, "Portrait of a Star” - last 
Sunday (1). 

S. A. Gorlinsky is bringing over 
Andre Kostelanetz to do a 45-miii- 
ute tv show for BBC May 3 and 
a concert at Royal Albert Hall May 
6. He will conduct the Royal Phil¬ 
harmonic in an all-Gershwin. pro¬ 
gram., with Winifred Atwell solo¬ 
ist. Advance bookings seat sale is 
so heavy that Kostelanetz will re¬ 
peat the program May 8. 

Jerome Whyte sailed back to 
N. Y. last Thursday (29), but due 
to return in June to line up a West 
End production of "Time Limit.” 
Fellow passengers on the Queen 
Elizabeth included Sir Alexander 
Aikman, director of EMI; Muriel 
Smith; Zoltan Korda; Walter J. 
Pickard, director of the Cafe de 
Paris; Bob Allison; Sonia Cortis, 
and Stanley M. Rinehart. 


London 


Montreal 

"Bus Stop” slated for one week 
at Her Majesty’s Theatre starting 
April 23. 

Maurice. Chevalier opened nine- 
day stint at St. Denis Theatre 
March 31. 

"Cinerama Holiday” to have 
Canadian preem April 5 St Impe¬ 
rial Theatre. 

Molly Picon in "Farblonjeter 
Honeymoon” opened last week at 
the Monument National for five 
performances. 

Eric McLean, music critic of the 
Montreal Star, elected president of 
the local Critic’s Club for 1956. 

"Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer” opens 
at Her Majesty’s Theatre April 4. 
Preem of film is under auspicies 
of State of Israel Bonds. 

French-Canadian soprano Mar¬ 
guerite Paquet invited to sing with 
the choir at wedding of Grace 
Kelly and Prince Rainier. 


Havana 

By Jay Mallin 

(Calle G-159) 

Treniers at Sans Soucl. 

Rosalind Ricci and Eva D’- 
Amour at Bamboo. 

Mexican pic, "The Illegitimate,” 
due in six theatres here. 

“Desperate Hours” coming to 
Trianon and Payret theatres. 

“The Medium” and "The Tele¬ 
phone” being staged at Blanck 
Salon. 

Dave Westlein of U.S. Naval at¬ 
tache’s office to play bit part in 
"The Sharkfighters,” being filmed 
here. 


Continued frora page 54 
Vernon group carried off their 
tricks excellently, despite the haz¬ 
ard of the littered floor. The two 
lads toss the girl with regulated 
abandon, and their tricks bring 
midterm applause and a sock re¬ 
ception. Cummings does okay 
with his lines and roping bit. 

The Hungaria Troupe, compris¬ 
ing an entire family, are standout 
nsley acrobats. Their tricks are 
sure applause winners with three 
high formations. They do exceed¬ 
ingly well in the opening slot. 

The Martin Bios. (2) do a cute 
marionette turn appreciated by« 
the youngsters. Ross Wyse Jr. & 
Jan Adams provide their usual 
brand of comedy and knockabout 
for good effect Betty Luster is 
under New Acts. Myron Roman 
provides a strong brand of musi¬ 
cal support. Jose. 


Frankfurt 

By Hazel Guild 

(24 Rheinstrasse; 776751) 

Vienna Philharmonic to make its 
first concert tour to Japan this 
month, with Paul Hindemith con¬ 
ducting. 

"Dirty Hands,” controversial 
Jean Paul Sartre play, set for May 
2 on German tv, Franz Peter Wirth 
directing. 

June Allyson and Dick Powell 
expected in Germany in July to 
film "Unfinished Symphony” for 
Univers§l. 

* Terence Rattigan’s play, "The 
Browning Version,” to be presented 
on German tele from Munich 
April 12, with Trude Kolmann 
directing. . 

Alfred Weidenmann’s plan to 
make "The Great Tyrant,” star¬ 
ring O. E. Hasse, dropped because 


budget came to about $750,000, 
rated too high. 

Don Cossack Chorus signed by 
Berolina Films to perform in "Das 
Don Kosaken Lied” (The Don 
Cossack Song), new film which 
Geza von Bolvary will direct. 

American promoter Boris Mor- 
ros bought the American film and 
drama rights to Fritz Eckhardt’s 
play, "Rendezvous in Vienna,” 
now playing at Theatre in Josef- 
stadt. 


Portland, Ore. 

By Ray Feves 

Frank Breal making , prepara¬ 
tions for Liberace one-nighter in 
June. 

Jack Matlack, former J. J. Par¬ 
ker exec, doing great in his own 
promotion biz. 

Mills Bros, with Norman Brown 
and The Jeffrey’s held for a sec¬ 
ond week at Amato’s Supper Club. 

Marty. Foster up from San Fran¬ 
cisco for a few days to look over 
remodeling job of his Guild Thea¬ 
tre. 

Frankie Laine with Al Lerner, 
Vickie Young, Kurtis Marionettes, 
Clark Bros, and George Arnold 
orch completed a 10-day date at 
Al Learman's Annual Home Show 
at Exposition Building last Mon¬ 
day (2). 


Miami Beach 

By Lary Solloway 

Alan Gale closing his Versailles 
Hotel Celebrity Club on April 15. 

Roberta Sherwood doubling be¬ 
tween Murray Franklin’s and 
series of four shots on Gleason’s 
‘"Stage Show.” 

Allan Walker took leave of ab¬ 
sence from Murray Franklin’s for 
six weeks to join Red Buttons’ act 
opening April 6 at the Copacabdna 
in N.Y. « 


Orson Welles 

Continued from page 2 —— 

fought for the same thing, only to 
be thumbed down.) 

Greatest handicap to European 
production is the terribly complex 
problem of moving film from coun¬ 
try to country. Custom regulations 
are stringent and he once had 
footage from his "Othello” held 
up three months in British cus¬ 
toms because of some rocks used 
as ballast in the crate carrying 
the film. These were declared "un¬ 
identified mineral objects” and the 
British held up clearance until they 
were satisfied that Welles wasn’t 
smuggling something into the coun¬ 
try. 

I This incident Welles cites to sup¬ 
port his contention that American 
film organization is superior to 
European. “A big organization 
could have cleared the matter in a 
few days. An independent got into 
a lot of trouble.” 

Matters like these are the par¬ 
tial reason why so many European 
pix makers are entering co-produc- 
tion deals with American firms, to 
take advantage of widespread or¬ 
ganizations developed by U. S. out¬ 
fits, he declared. 

Eventually, it may become pos¬ 
sible for a feature producer to get 
his money quickly, out of a single 
telecasting, a la "Richard III” on 
NBC-TV, Welles observed. ''Lack 
of distrib costs is one factor he 
cited, but "even with tremendous 
ratings on tv, enough people will 
not have seen it to make theatrical 
distribution still possible. If it’s 
a good picture, the word-of-mouth 
advertising will also help. In my 
opinion, tv can only help, not 
hurt.” 

Pix debuting on tv has not yet 
had a real test case, he felt. "Con¬ 
stant Husband” which introd’d the 
practice, was a bad picture which 
didnt’ do well even in England, 
while "Richard” is a special art 
house feature, he noted. 

Welles was also disturbed that 
there is no middle ground in tv 
at present—that a performer or 
program is either considered a. tre¬ 
mendous hit or a flop. “We live in 
a hit-flop economy,” he commented 
sadly. "The networks and the big 
studios are grand, but I hope they 
don’t do away with the local and 
the regional presentations.” 

At present there is no place for 
the medium-sized show except on 
local tv ,and he’s not too hopeful 
that this will continue to hold true. 

"Costs are up, so the producer 
can only afford socko presenta¬ 
tions,” he said. Elaborating, he 
pointed to the off-B’way legit the¬ 
atres in N. Y. "It’s the best some 
producers can do under the present 
setup, but it’sS. still off-Broadway, 
and it’s not good enough. The 
players' deserve the best.” • •-. 


Paris 

By Gene Moskowitz 

(28 Rue Huchette; Odeon 49744 ) 

Roberto Rossellini working on a 
screenplay with Carlo Levi for a 
forthcoming pic to be made in 
Israel. 

Alberto Cavalcanti in with a 
copy of pic he made in Germany 
"Herr Puntilla,” from a story bv 
Bertold Brecht. y 

, Yvan Desny, bilingual Gallic 
actor, to play opposite Ingrid 
Bergman in Anatole Litvak's film 
version of "Anastasia” (20th). 

U.S. singers on nitery scene 
here, with Anne Morre into Cal- 
avados, Quentin Foster to the 
Mars Club and Rosette Shaw at 
the Drap D’Or. , 

A new Gallic daily, Les Temps 
De Paris, hits the stands late in 
April, making 13 in all. This will 
be a 30-page tabloid with an eight- 
page mag section every day. 

Ben Hechit is working on Anglo 
version of Raymond and Robert 
Hakim pic, "Hunchback of Notre 
Dame” which will star Gina Lol- 
lobrigida and Anthony Quinn. 

Jean Vilar’s State subsidized 
legit troupe, the Theatre National 
Populaire, played to more than 
292,000 patrons during their Baris 
season from November to March. 

Majorie Tallchief and Georges 
Skibine are to take a three-month 
leave of absence from the Grand 
Ballet Du Marquis De Cuevas for 
a three-month toup of U.S. next 
season. 

Bob Hope .will make another 
vidfilm utilizing Fernandel next 
month. This will be made in Mar¬ 
seilles with Fernandel Showing 
Hope around the place, and doing 
his mugging. 

Lenise Provence heading a 
troupe of Gallic thesps here who 
leave for Brazil to play “La Pa- 
risienne.” Also going are Marthe 
Mercadier, Jean Masson and 
Jacques Charon. 

For first time a play, created on 
television is being transfered to a 
legit. stage here. Piece is Roger 
Ferdinand's "Le Mari Ne Comte 
Pas” (The Husband Doesn’t Count) 
and will be done. at the Theatre 
Edouard VII with the tv cast. 

. French Syndicate of Actors pro¬ 
testing against the hiring of Curt 
Jurgens for the title role of the 
Gallic pic, "Michael Strogoff.” 
Gallic studios always have been 
open to foreign actors, but the 
Syndicate feels that it has ’been 
too lax and'that its time to make 
a test case. 

Film boxofflce leaders this 
round are the Gallic "Si Tous Les 
Gars Du Monde” (If All The Guys 
In The World) followed by "Seven 
Year Itch” (20th), Gregory Ratoff’s 
"Abdulla The Great” and Gallic 
undersea documentary, "Le 
Monde Du Silence.” Top pix for 
season so far are Rene Clair’s 
comedy costumer, "Les Grandes 
Manoeuvres,” the Italo explora¬ 
tion pic, "Lost Continent,” "To 
Catch A Thief” (P?”), "20,000 
Leagues Under Sea” T,V), Sacha 
Guitry’s "Si Paris Nous Etait 
Conte” and "Nana.” 


Chicago 

Singer-guitarist Luc Poret back 
at the Gate of Horn. 

Professor Studs Terkel helming 
a 10-week course bn jazz at U of 
Chicago’s Downtown Center. 

Norm Weiser resigned as pub¬ 
lisher of Downbeat and is now ad¬ 
viser to the publisher of Playboy. 

Ambassador - Sherman prez Pat 
Hoy accounted his hostelry experi¬ 
ences on WBBM-TV’s "This Is the 
Midwest*’ Sunday (1). 

Amusement & Recreation sec¬ 
tion of Red Cross, headed by Ar¬ 
thur Schoenstadt and Jack Kirsch, 
first to go over top in the annual 
fundraising drive. . , 

Chuck Wiley left Zenith Radio s 
public relations department to 
handle Sen. Estes Kefauver’s mid¬ 
west press relations for his bid for 
Democratic nomination. 


Cleveland 


By Glenn C. Pullen 

Johnny Haymer, comic, now at 
Alpine Village, going into Broad¬ 
way "New Faces of 1956.” 

Johnny Price lining up New 
York principals for "King and. I, 
which tees off his Musicarnival 
tent strawhatter’s third season 
June 8 for 24-day run. 

Saul Richman, who publicized 
Cleveland 500’s musicals eignt 
years ago, back as tub-thumper for 
Harry Belafonte’s new show, “Sing. 
Man, Sing,” which started test 
tour at Hanna Easter Sunday. 

Leo G. and -Eleanor Bayer, local 
authors of whodunits, having their 
new comedy “Third Best Support, 
preemed by Margo Jones Theatie 
Players in Dallas May 12 and go¬ 
ing there to cover rehearsals. 
Their last play, "Left Hook, was 
tested by Cleveland. Play House 
three years ago. 


Wednesday, April 4, 1956 


63 


OBITUARIES 


IRVIN MARKS 

Irvin Marks, "about 77,” died in 
Puis April 1 after a short illness 
at the American Hospital. He was 
longtime Continental rep-for the 
Sliuberts and other legit producers. 

Details in Legit. 

FRANK JAY GOULD 

Industrialist Frank Jay Gould, 
who died after a long illness April 
i at his longtime home on the 
F"ench Riviera, aged 78, was a 
w k figure ih show business. Two 
J his wives were actresses but the 
voungest son of railroad magnate 
Jav Gould was best known for 
having developed ,Juan-les-Pins as 
nii international resort. Gould 
built the $10,000,000 Palais de la 
iMediteranee, gambling showplace 
in Nice, and owned most of Juan- 

le Edith Kelly, w.k. musicomedy 
singer in London and Broadway 
legit musicals, ’married him in 
li)10. They were divorced in 1919 
alter a long separation. In 1923 
he married Florence la Caze of 
San Francisco, who also had been 
on the American and French 
legitimate stage. 


ben h. wallerstein 

Ben H. Wallerstein, 56, Cali¬ 
fornia zone manager of Stanley 
Warner Theatres and long a key 
figure in Western exhibition cir¬ 
cles, died of a cerebral hemorrhage 
March 27 aboard the S.S. Flandre 
in mid-Atlantic. He had sailed 
from New Orleans March 12 for a 
long planned European vacation 
with his wife Ruth. Body will be 
flown back to Hollywood for burial 
after the vessel reaches France 
this week.- 

A native of London, Wallerstein 
entered showbiz as a young man, 
handling legitimate roadshows. In 
1919, he went to South Africa to 
present the first films introduced 
there. He remained in South 
Alrica for several years, eventually 
coming to the U.S. in the late 
1920’s and became a theatre opera¬ 
tor in Cleveland and Buffalo'. 

Wallerstein joined • the old 
Warner Circuit in 1930, coming to 
the Coast to supervise the chain’s 


also toured Europe and the U. S. 
in recitals. 

In Paris he gave recitals with 
Claude Debussy, and wrote violin 
transcriptions of Debussy’s works. 
He had been a director of both the 
Rochester and Eastman music 
schools, and was a member of the 
American Society 'of Composers, 
Authors & Publishers. 

His son and daughter survive. 


ABE H. SCHNITZER 
Abe H. Schnitzer, 65, veteran 
Pittsburgh distributor, died March 
26 • in Los Angeles after a long 
illness. After heading the old FBO 
exchange in Pitt and later its suc¬ 
cessor, RKO-Radio, he left that 
city in the 1930’s to join his late 
brother, Joseph H. Schnitzer, in 
operation of the Western Costume 
Co. in .Hollywood. Following sale 
of that business, he went into semi- 
retirement as result of an ailment 
from which he never recovered. . 

His wife, three sons and three 
sisters survive. 


JAMES HUGHES 
James Hughes, 68, program di¬ 
rector of station WJAS in Pitts¬ 
burgh, .died there March 23 after 
a long illness. A minstrel man in 
the early part of the century, he 
toured extensively in vaudeville 
around the World War 1 period 
and was a radio entertainer before 
turning to the broadcasting front 
offices. He joined WJAS in 1927 
and has been head of programming 
most of the time since then. 

Surviving are his wife, a son, 
three sisters and a brother. 


WILLIAM E. O’NEILL 

William E. O’Neill,. 56, manager 
of the Tower Theatre, Oakland,. 
Cal., died March 27 in San Fran¬ 
cisco. He was fatally stricken 
while on his way to a banquet. 
Born in . Salt. Lake City, he was 
with Fox West Coast since 1944, 
having served as manager of five 
different theatres in Berkeley and 
Oakland. 

O’Neill, who was considered 
dean of Oakland theatre managers, 
also had functioned as a publicist 
for FWC in recent years. 


IN LOVING MEMORY 

OF OUR BROTHER 

BERNARD MALTIN 

Who PaMod Away April 10, 1952 
JACQUELINA and AARON MALTIN 


operations in that area. When the 
circuit was sold to the Stanley 
theatre chain to become Stanley 
Warner Theatres, he went along 
with the sale, remaining as an 
executive of the new firm. One of 
the best known and best liked of 
Coast showmen, he was an expert 
on the technicalities of Hollywood 
film premieres, having handled 
scores during his years with 
Warners. 

In addition to his wife, a daugh¬ 
ter also survives. 


RUSSELL G. WINNIE 

Russell G.' Winnie, 49, assistant 
general manager of the Milwaukee 
Journal stations, WTMJ and 
WTMJ-TV, died March 30 while 
vacationing in Fort Lauderdale, 
Fla. He was stricken with a heart 
attack. 

A radio-tv pioneer, Winnie had 
been with WTMJ and WTMJ- 
TV for 28 years. He started 
as an announcer and filled almost 
every position with the stations 
until assutning the assistant man¬ 
agership. As an announcer, he was 
one of the first play-by-play sport- 
easters. 

. Surviving are his wife, a son 
and a sister. 


JEAN LOUIS CAIROLI 

., Jea n.Louis Cairoli, 76, head 
me Cairoli circus family and i 
ther of Charlie Cairoli, not 
ciown, died recently at Jouy-e 
^. s . as > n .oar Versailles, France. 1 
m! lre m in . when Paul Free 
man, Toronto-born clown, took 1 
Thf e n a - ongside his son Charlie, 
The Cairoli Bros. act. 
p a 7 ° r n at Moissac, France, in 181 
,. a ro1 ! made his first stage appet 
fte m 1886 in Lyons, Fran, 
with his son, as The Cairoli Bro 
a PP eai> ed in most Europe 
spots as well as In London. 1 
at tE v ^ s seen in summer circ 
in 1 p Tower. Blackpool, Eng., ai 
Littler’s "Little Mi 

Theatre, * the ^ 


Artu ART S UR HARTMANN 
violinicf r Martinus Hartmann, 
30 in iJl an x d r com P°ser, died M; 
be wa^w^iT?’ Born in Hung 
appear^ Ught up in BhRadelp 
the nS- as , T? lo ist with mosi 
P mcipal U. S. orchestras. 


NEWELL McMAHAN 
.Newell. McMahan, 53, pioneer 
San Francisco newscaster, died 
March 27 in that city. A native of 
Stockton. Cal., he was one Frisco’s 
first radio news reporters over 
KSFO.' Subsequently he was a 
sportscaster for a Santa Rosa, Cal., 
station and during World War II 
was a news writer for KNBC, 
Frisco. 

Surviving are his wife, a sister 
and a -brother. 


MARGUERITE ALKIRE 

Mrs. Marguerite Smith Alkire, 
87, jyho teamed with her five sis¬ 
ters in a yesteryear harmony act 
known as the Ariel Ladies Sextet, 
diecl March 23 in Columbus. Born 
near Washington Court House, O., 
the sisters sang at the inaugura¬ 
tion of William McKinley and ap¬ 
peared in some 1,700 concerts. 

Four of the original six sisters j 
survive. 


MARCHETA 

Mrs. Elsie Genevieve Little, 56, 
known in vaudeville as Marcheta, 
died in Kansas City, Mo., at her 
home after an iilness of ten years 
due to a heart ailment. For some 
years sh$ directed an annual 
variety show at Ft. Leavenworth, 
Kans. Surviving are 'husband 
Howard Little, a son and three 
grandchildren. 

JACK W. GORDON 

Jack W: Gordon, 61, vet Hart¬ 
ford agent, died of a cerebral 
hemorrhage March 19 in New 
York. He maintained offices in 
Hartford, Springfield and N. Y. 

Survived by wife and three 
daughters who will continue the 
agency. 


George Hollander, '65, who was 
in show business 25 years in 
Omaha and managed the Town 
Theatre there most of that time, 
died there March 27 of a heart 
attack. Surviving are his wife, 
daughter, son, two sisters, and 
.brother. 


.Lawrence Williams, 66, film actor 
for 25 years, died March 30 in Hol¬ 
lywood following a heart attack. 
Surviving is his wife, actress Helen 
Dickson. 


Winchester Browning, 88, motion 
picture research worker, died 
March 29 in Hollywood. Two 
daughters survive. 


Prof. Fritz Lehmann, German 
conductor, died March 30 in 
Munich. 


Herbert C. Tilley Jr., 64, former 


P'KfUETY 


New York radio singer, died March 
27 in Rye, N.Y> Two daughters and 
two sons survive. 


Soii, 18 months, of Bob Double¬ 
day, staff announcer wth KENS- 
TV, San Antonio, died March 28 
in that city. 


Father, 78, of William M. Levy, 
assistant managing director of Co¬ 
lumbia Pictures in London, died 
March 16 in Hartford, Conn. 


Fred C. Shaw, 81. former presi¬ 
dent of the Amsterdam, N.Y., 
musicians’ union, died March 28 in 
Franklin, N.H. 


Bernard W. Vane, 59, longtime 
projectionist at the Leland Thea¬ 
tre, Albany, N.Y., died March 24 
in that city. His wife, three sons 
and two daughters survive. 


Wife, 63, of Earl Kurtz, co-man¬ 
ager of WLS’ Artists Bureau, died 
March 27 in Chicago. Husband and 
two sons survive. 


Betty Green, secretary to Tom 
O’Neil, president of RKO Tele- 
radio Pictures, died March 29 in 
Yonkers, N. Y. 


Angus M. Macdonald, Gaelic ac¬ 
tor, playwright and broadcaster, 
died March 26 in Glasgow. 


Leo Lelievre, 83, French com¬ 
poser who wrote more than 6,000 
songs, died March 31 in Paris. 


Triple-Threat Lupino 

Continued from page 2 ■ 

waiting a full 18 months before 
getting her chance in "The Light 
That Failed.” 

Harry Joe Brown started the ball 
rolling in absence of Masquers’ 
prexy, then left after presenting 
Prince as toastmaster. Olga San 
Juan and her husband, Eddie 
O’Brien, contributed the entertain¬ 
ment from the dais, former war¬ 
bling “I Love to Look at You” and 
O’Brien spouting one of "Hamlet’s” 
soliloquies for boff response . . . 
that’s for Ida.” 

Harriet Parsons, also a producer, 
in tracing Ida’s theatrical ancestry 
back to the Renaissance brought 
her up to date by pointing out 
she is one of two femmes ever to 
make a career out of directing. 
Allan Dwan also looked backward 
to time he was making a picture 
in London, and gave Ida "a starry- 
eyed little thing of 13,” a job—"as 
a 13-year-old starry-eyed little girl.” 
"Needless to say,” he commented, 
"she made good.” 

As one of Ida’s discoveries, Mala 
Powers paid tribute and Howard 
Duff, honor guest’s husband, an¬ 
swered Prince’s wondering query, 
"Who’s the director at home?” 
"Need I say,” Duff returned, "there 
is only one director,” bowing to his 
bride. 

Other dais figures to take the 
mike for brief kudos before Ida 
arose, included Al Scalpone, War¬ 
ren Lewis, Sonny Chaliff, Don 
Sharpe, Lloyd Richards. Sheilah 
Graham and Harlequin Gene Au¬ 
try, both slated to sit at dais, failed 
to show. 

After profuse thanks at honor 
bestowed upon her, honoree related 
a story about her late father, Stan¬ 
ley Lupino. "Ida,” he once told 
her, "if you ever write a play kill 
off all the actors in the last acts 
so they can’t make a speech.” 

In addition to the Spelvin Award, 
toastmaster Prince presented Ida 
with an oil canvas painted by Mas¬ 
quer John Gysen. Entertainment, 
chairmanned by Frank Scannell 
and Harry Joe Brown, which pre¬ 
ceded matter of the "evening, was 
highlighted by The Lady Killers 
Quartet—Henry Iblings, Irl Hun- 
saker, Tom Clarke, Dudley Kuzell 
—and Ralph Murphy’s skft, "The 
Mermaid’s Tale,” how Willy Shake¬ 
speare was aborn. 


Strawhat Packages 

Continued from page 2 

"Bus,” is also contemplating send¬ 
ing out a package of the William 
Inge comedy-drama. 

Elkins’ packages will include 
oniy leading players, leaving other 
parts to be cast by resident com¬ 
panies. The shows will tour on 
a guarantee-plus-percentage ar¬ 
rangement. 

In addition to Elkins’ heavy line¬ 
up, other scheduled packages in¬ 
clude "Teahouse of the August 
Moon,” to be sent out by Robert 
Rapport on a restricted tent tour. 


It’ll be a complete production. 
Also on tap is "Where’s Charley?” 
which talent agents Bret Adams 
and Sanford Leigh will send out 
with Carleton Carpenter starred. 

"Can-Can,” currently touring 
under the Cy Feuer-Ernest H. Mar¬ 
tin production banner, is another 
possibility for package production 
this summer. It may be sent out 
by the Feuer & Martin office. 

The tuner is expected to wind 
up its road tour in the early sum¬ 
mer. It’ll be released to ,stock, 
with F&M . retaining approval 
rights on any production a la the 
Rodgers & Hammerstein super¬ 
vision on stock productions of 
their musicals. 

A package of "Out of This 
World,” the 1950 Broadway mu¬ 
sical, may be sent out! by Richard 
Besoyan, who presented a success¬ 
ful off-Broadway revival of the 
tuner earlier this season. 


‘Porgy’ 0’Seas Orcbs 

i . Continued from page 2 ■— 

of the American string player, this 
type of French reserved and seem¬ 
ingly inhibited string playing was 
frustrating to the nth degree. The 
week before our arrival this or¬ 
chestra had been performing "Pel- 
leas and Melisande” under Pierre 
Monteux. Perhaps they had not, 
as yet, shaken off the extremely 
subdued mood of this most French 
of all operas. In New York tlr's at¬ 
titude on the part of a string play¬ 
er would be interpreted to mean 
“for another $5 I’ll give you an¬ 
other inch of bow.” The brass and 
woodwind players were excellent. 

Each orchestra bore its own 
label of musical preference based 
on its own musical past. The Zu¬ 
rich Radio orchestra was fond of 
playing Mozart. They played 
“Porgy” .beautifully and charming¬ 
ly, but with excitement only in 
rare moments. Their greatest ex¬ 
pression of enthusiasm and excite¬ 
ment came the night they broad¬ 
cast a Mozart program with Bruno 
Walter at eight, and rushed over 
to do “Porgy” at nine. 

In many instances there were 
incidents as amusing as they were 
disturbing. The xylophone and 
glockenspiel players in America 
are expected to have great techni¬ 
cal facility. Gershwin uses them 
with pianistic dexterity in his 
"Porgy” score. Abroad, the players 
of these instruments seemed not 
to have heard about our type of 
instrument, which is played in a 
flat horizontal position like a pi¬ 
ano. They knew only of the anti¬ 
quated ones used in the military 
bands—the kind that are held up¬ 
right while marching in a parade. 
This eliminated most of the won¬ 
derful passages that Gershwin had 
written for these instruments. 

Watch that Lip! 

There was also the flautist who 
refused to "double” on piccolo. He 
said it would ruin his embouchure. 

In one small city we used a 
smaller orchestra because of the 
size of the orchestra pit. The one 
and only doublebass player was 
the 75-year-old professor at the 
conservatoire. He did not hear well. 

There were also times when I 
would have given two weeks’ sal¬ 
ary for a non-symphonic trumpet 
player. Gershwin’s music cried 
for it. 

No matter how much advance 
information was sent on ahead, the 
fact that "Porgy” was a real opera, 
three hours or .more in length,- 
never got across to the men whoi 
had the responsibility of engaging 
the orchestra. The belief that this 
was a jazz show could not be dis¬ 
pelled. In the brass and woodwind 
section, the European counterpart 
of the Americ&n jazz player was 
usually engaged. This meant that 
they could "fake” but could not 
read music. In some cases the 
woodwinds were released from 
duty in a nearby army band by the 
colonel in charge. 

The universality of music was 
aptly demonstrated by the fact that 
the language question seldom was 
an impediment to rehearsal prog¬ 
ress between conductor and or¬ 
chestra. Only in Antwerp and Rio 
de Janiero, where Flemish and 
Portuguese were the prevalent lan¬ 
guages, respectively, was there any 
difficulty. But there was always a 
viola player in every orchestra who 
spoke English and acted as inter¬ 
preter when subtler points in the 
music were under discussion. 

In spite of all the untoward cir¬ 
cumstances previously mentioned, 
the performances were on a very 
high plane, and were, without ex¬ 
ception, received by audiences and 
critics with the greatest acclaim 
and enthusiasm. 


Rock Y Roll 

== Continued from page 1 

take will amount to $150,000 for 
the first seven days, despite the 
slow opening due to Good Friday 
and Easter Sunday. On Monday 
(2), conditions changed consider¬ 
ably. There were 2,200 in line 
for the opening show and at 
6 a.m., there were 500 kids waiting 
in line. Pleshette said that Mon¬ 
day’s gross was around $25,000, 
and at the present pace, the pre¬ 
dicted $200,000 seems conservative. 

Last Christmas, the house had 
another rock ’n’ roller, Tommy 
Smalls (Dr. Jive), and/ gross was 
$77,000. Harry Levine, the Par 
booker, was the first to investigate 
the potential of rock ’n’ roll with 
the booking of Freed. Since then, 
it’s the only kind of theatre show 
that he’s been playing in New 
York. 

On Good • Friday, the house 
preemed with a $1.25 price, but 
subsequently it opened at $1.50 
and went to $2. 

Hiller’s ‘Last Days’ 

mmmmmmm Continued from page 1 

they are dubbed and haven’t been 
released yet. 

Two more German films on the 
general subject of the Nazis—"The 
Devil’s General” and "Canaris”— 
are in this country, but haven’t 
been released as yet. 

The only other recounting of 
Hitler’s final days was presented 
in the Russian, "The Fall of Ber¬ 
lin,” which came out in 1952. In 
this picture the Soviets, for the 
first time, fell in line with Western 
investigators who had long been 
convinced that] Hitler was indeed 
dead, having killed himself in the 
bunker on April 30, 1945, along 
with his wife, Eva, whom he mar¬ 
ried the night before. 


MARRIAGES 

Sissie Ross to Bill Mark, March 
29, New York. He is a w.k. show 
biz photographer; bride is nonpro. 

Elicia Miller to Shep'hen E. Rie- 
thof, Pittsburgh, March 23. Bride 
is a dancer. 

Esther Keilly to Dick Stutz, 
Pittsburgh, March 25. He’s a mu¬ 
sician and songwriter. 

Marisa Pavan to Jean Pierre 
Aumont. Santa Barbara, Cal., 
March 27. Bride and groom are 
screen players. 

Magda Gabor to Arthur Gallucci, 
Franklin, N.J., April 1. Bride is a 
legit actress. 


BIRTHS 

Mr. and Mrs. William Leslie, 
daughter, Burbank, Cal., March 24. 
Father is a screen actor. 

Mr. and Mrs. Charles Scott King, 
son, Phoenixville, Pa., March 24. 
He’s a WFIL-TV announcer. 

Mr. and Mrs. Ellis Tollin, daugh¬ 
ter, Philadelphia, March 11. He’s 
the jazz drummer and combo 
leader. 

Mr. and Mrs. James M. Lehner 
Jr., son .Forest Hills, N. Y., re¬ 
cently. Father is radio-tv director 
of the Greater New York Fund.. 

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Melniker, 
daughter, Santa Monica, Cal., 
March 27. Father is a former RKO 
publicity man. 

Mr. and Mrs. Lewis S. Wechsler, 
son, New York, March 26. Father 
is a radio-tv exec with Benton & 
Bowles agency. 

Mr. and Mrs. Ray Clevenger; 
daughter, Burbank, Cal., March 
22. Father is stage manager at 
KHJ-TV. 

Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Bisdale, 1 
son, New York, March 9. Father is‘ 
head of Paramount’s homeoffice 
print department; mother former¬ 
ly was associated with the Army 
and Air Force motion picture 
service. 

Mr. and Mrs. Bill ..Scott, son, 
Pittsburgh, March 24. Father is 
an RKO salesman at Pitt ex¬ 
change. 

Mr. and Mrs. Peer Oppenheim- 
er, daughter, Santa Monica, Cal., 
March 29. Father is a writer. 

Mr. and Mrs. Raanon Berger, 
son, Los Angeles, March 29. Moth¬ 
er is dancer Francerca Talavera. 

Mr. and Mrs. Arthur Rosen, 
daughter, New York, April 1. Fa¬ 
ther is the son of Stanley Warner, 
executive v.p.‘ Samuel Rosen and 
is a production exec w'th the com¬ 
pany’s Cinerama division. 

Mr. and Mrs. Harold Rosenberg, 
daughter, Newton. Mass., April 2. 
Father is the son of Al Rosenberg, 
head of Warner Bros, homeoffice 
contract departni' nt. 

Mr. and Mrs. wStcve Scrasshorg, 
daughter. New York, An ’il 2. 
Father is direc tor of p.iblioi ,y for 
WABC and WABC-TV, N.Y. 



Wednesday, April 4, 195(5 


NATIONAL NIELSEN TOP 10 RATINGS; 
MARCH 1952 

1. I LOVE LUCY 

2. ARTHUR GODFREY'S TALENT SCOOTS 

3. THE RED SKELTON SHOW 

4. TEXACO STAR THEATRE 

5. COLGATE COMEDY HOUR 

6. YOUR SHOW OF SHOWS 
t. YOU BET YOUR LIFE 

8. ARTHUR GODFREY & HIS FRIENDS 

9, FIRESIDE THEATRE 
10, MAMA 


MARCH 1953 

1. I LOVE LUCY 

2. ARTHUR GODFREY'S TALENT SCOUTS 

3. ACADEMY AWARDS CEREMONY 

4. ARTHUR GODFREY & HIS FRIENDS 

5. COLGATE COMEDY HOUR 

6. TEXACO STAR THEATRE 

7. DRAGNET 

8. PHILCO TV PLAYHOUSE 

9. YOU BET YOUR LIFE 

10. THE RED BUTTONS SHOW ' 

MARCH 1954 

1. I LOVE LUCY 

2. ACADEMY AWARDS CEREMONY 

3. DRAGNET 

4. BOB HOPE SHOW 

5. JACKIE GLEASON SHOW 

6. MILTON BERLE 

7. YOU BET YOUR LIFE 

8. ARTHUR GODFREY'S TALENT SCOUTS 

9. JACK BENNY SHOW 

10. TOAST OF THE TOWN 


MARCH 1955 

1. I LOVI LUCY 

2. JACKIE GLEASON SHOW 

3. TOAST OF THE TOWN 

4. DISNEYLAN6 

5. MILTON BERLE 

6. JACK BENNY SHOW 

7. YOU BET YOUR LIFE 

8. THE GEORGE GOBEL SHOW 
9T DRAGNET 

10. MARTHA RAYE SHOW 

MARCH 1956 

1. I LOVE LUCY 

2. THE ED SULLIVAN SHOW 

3. $64,000 QUESTION 

4. Ford star jubilee 

5. DISNEYLAND 

6. JACK BENNY SHOW 

7. DECEMBER BRIDE 

8. THE PERRY COMO SHOW 

9. DRAGNET 

10, THE MILLIONAIRE 


iw MOfcbVVwtatt 






films 


RADIO 


VIDEO 


MUSIC 


STAGE 




A. 



Published Weekly at 154 West 46th Street. New York 36, N. Y.. by Variety, Inc. Annual subscription, $10. Single copies, 25 cents. 
Entered .. ,.co.d<Ia„ D^emb^ 22. ^ Newport,. N.^V.^ under the ,ct e, jfcrci. X 187„. 


Vol. 202,. No. 6 

NEW YORK, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 11, 1956 

PRICE 25 CENTS 


ROCK ’N’ ROLL B. 0. ‘DYNAMITE’ 






Chi Ozoners Pix-Vaude-Dance Parlay 
Poses Threat to Niteries, Ballrooms 


Shuberts Outsmarted Themselves 

On ‘Lady’; Tuner s Odd Diwy Setup 

- + 


By GABE FAVOINO 

Chicago, April 10. 

Chicago is on the verge of ex¬ 
ploding a multiple threat enter¬ 
tainment blast that could easily 
revolutionize both the conventional 
and drive-in theatre business, pose 
a new threat to the niteries and' 
ballrooms, and have far-reaching 
effects on the entertainment in¬ 
dustry in general. 

Borrowing from the shopping 
center and the supermarket, Stan¬ 
ford Kohlberg, operator of the 
suburban Starlite drive-in, has 
whipped up an entertainment for¬ 
mula compounded of the economic 
advantages of the drive-in, the 
drawing power of big name vaude 
and record acts, revived interest 
in dancing among young people, 
quality films, the best features of 
the amusement park, and the at¬ 
tractiveness of low prices, all on 
credit if desired. 

Kohlberg will, beginning the 
. weekend of April 27-29, debut a 
toplevel stageshow policy at the 
Starlite, coupled with dancing, “A” 
run double features, and a vest- 
pocket amusement park. With a 
$150,000 budget for live acts and 
bands during a 20-week trial run, 
or $7,500 each weekend, Kohlberg 
will have Nick Noble, the Hilltop- 
pers, the Chordettes, the Jim 
Lounsbury band with vocalist 
(Continued on page 57) 

RKO Chain ‘Diversity’: 
Textiles, Electronics & 
Non-Theatrical Realty 

In a broad diversification move, 
RKO Theatres, subject to approval 
of its stockholders, is set to move 
into textile finishing, electronics 
research and manufacturing, weav¬ 
ing of synthetic fabrics and various | 
real estate operations. Control of 
Gera Corp., which is engaged in 
these fields, will pass to the theatre 
circuit upon the shareowners' vote' 
of approval at a special meeting 
May 8. 

Here’s how it works. RKO Thea- 
tres will pick up all assets of the 
Cleveland Arcade Co. in exchange 
for 1,043,706 shares of the chain’s 
common stock. Arcade's chief asset 
is 84.4% of Gera. Plan also is blue¬ 
printed for RKO to. pocket the 
balance of 15.6% in exchange for 
an additional 216,294 shares of 
stock at the rate of 354 RKO shares 
for each Gera share. 

Albert A. List, board chairman 
and vote-controlling chief stock¬ 
holder of RKO Theatres, is calling 
the turns on the maneuver. His 
interests also include control of 
Cleveland Areade. 

,, Ttl | corporation also revealed 
that Sol A. Schwartz will continue 
as president and chief officer of 
the theatres and his existing em¬ 
ployment contract has been ex¬ 
tended. 


WRCA-TV’s ‘Open Mind’ - 
On Race, Booze, Homos 

A couple of dozen colleges are 
cooperating with WRCA-TV, N. Y., 
in a half-hour educational series 
titled “The Open Mind,” with some 
provocative subject matter includ¬ 
ing homosexuality. The NBC flag¬ 
ship will slot it as a Saturday run¬ 
ner at 6 o’clock starting May 12. 

Topics worked out under pro¬ 
gram manager Steve Krantz are: 
The American Presidency, Nature 
of Communism, Marriage in Amer¬ 
ica, Alcoholism, The Law and You, 
Homosexuality in America, Inte¬ 
gration and Segregation, Our Chil¬ 
dren and Mental Health, Why 
Johnny Can’t Read. Producer is 
Richard D.' Heffner. 


Borge Goes From 
‘Road Spec to TV 
Spec—It s All $ 

When, a few months back. CBS- 
TV negotiated a deal for Victor 
Borge to do a couple of one-man 
60-minute tv specs for a sum to¬ 
tal of $200,000. establishing some¬ 
thing of a record, it was with the 
understanding that Borge would 
fulfill the network commitments 
during layoff periods. Neither 
CBS nor Borge envisioned a sub¬ 
sequent “concert” road tour that 
would even top his record-break¬ 
ing Broadway one-man legiter and 
necessitate one tv postponement 
dfter another. 

But since the current road tour 
figures to go on and on, extend¬ 
ing into next season, and with CBS 
pressing for those one-shot sig- 
(Continued on page 57) 


Income for Television 
Writers at 10-Month Peak 

Hollywood, April 10. 
Income of television writers has 
hit a record high, with the tele 
members of Writers Guild of 
America earning $4,583,500 for the 
past 10 months, a boost of $3,- 
142,000 in tv writer income for a 
partial year on the coast. 

Highest number of tv writers em¬ 
ployed during any week in Febru¬ 
ary of last year was 79, while 
records for the past February show 
the figure was 276. In February, 
1955, major vidfilmeries employed 
34 tv writers: in February of this 
year the number was up to 80. 
Number of telescripters writing 
for indie vidpix producers was 45 
in February, 1955; it shot up to 129 
in February of this year. 



Rock ’n’ roll—the most explo¬ 
sive show biz phenomenon of the 
decade—may be getting too hot to 
handle. While its money-making 
potential has made it all but ir¬ 
resistible, its .Svengali grip on the 
teenagers has produced a stagger¬ 
ing wave of juvenile violence and 
mayhem. Rock ’n’ roll is now lit¬ 
eral b.o. dynamite—not only a 
matter of profit, but a matter for 
the police. 

Box6ffice-wise, rock ’n’ roll 
package shows have been hitting 
spectacular takes in theatres. Alan 
Freed’s $200,000 plus gross at the 
Brooklyn Paramount last week is 
a new peak, topping the business 
he did in the same spot last year. 

On the music charts, rock ’n’ 
roll is still high on the hit parade. 
Paradoxically, some class instru¬ 
mentals from Europe, like “Lisbon 
Antigua,” “Poor People of Paris” 
and “Moritat” fcave been cheek-by- 
jowl in the bestseller lists with 
such note-bending rock ’n’ roll 
tunes as “The Great Pretender,” 
“See You Later, Alligator,” “Blue 
Suede Shoes” and some 10 other 
similarly grooved tunes in the 
top 30. 

On the police blotters, rock ’n 
roll has also been writing an un¬ 
precedented record. In one locale 
after another, rock ’n’ roll shows, 
or disk hops where such tunes have 
(Continued on page 60) 


Howard Hughes 
Guessing Game 
In Palm Beach 

Palm Beach, April 10. 

What’s Howard Hughes up to in 
Palm Beach? That’s the guessing 
game that has bankers, real estate 
agents and the newspapers in this 
usually placid resort running 
around in circles. A month or so 
ago, Gov. Leroy Collins of Florida 
returned from a trip to California 
and released press stories to the 
affect that - Hughes “would invest 
millions and millions in this state.” 
The where, what or when of it was 
left a secret—and still is. 

It is known that the elusive 
Hughes has been in and out of 
Palm Beach several times in recent 
weeks. No newspaper reporter or 
photographer has been able to cor¬ 
ner him. Persistent report is that 
Hughes is planning a multi-million 
dollar chemical plant of some kind 
for this state. The palatial Palm 
Beach home of Tom O'Neil, prexy 
of RKO, who’s had big dealings 
with Hughes, is supposed to be 
Hughes’ - hideaway when he’s in 
I town—but his comings and goings 
[ (Continued on page 57) 


George M. Cohan As 

Times Sq. Statue 

Oscar Hammerstein 2d is chair- 
maning the George M. Cohan Me¬ 
morial Committee whose purpose 
is to honor the late showman with 
a statue in Times Square, akin to 
the one for Father Duffy in the 
island facing the Palace Theatre. 
Commissioner Robert Moses has 
approved the site facing the Astor 
Hotel as a suitable spot for the 
statue. 

Irving Berlin originally sparked 
the idea. Committee includes 
Helen Hayes, Ethel Barrymore, 
Herbert Bayard Swope and Moses. 

Kelly a Riddle: 

Is She Or Is She 
Ain’t Gonna Act? 

Grace Kelly’s future as a film 
actress was left dangling at her 
final press interview last week 
upon sailing to Monaco aboard the 
Constitution. Miss Kelly again 
evaded the question of career. She 
was too busy getting married, too 
excited to think of film-making 
“just then.” Reporters raised eye¬ 
brows at her comment of returning 
to the States “for a visit” in the 
fall “and hoping her husband could 
accompany her.” 

If Miss Kelly, as a reigning 
prince’s consort, continues to star 
in motion pictures there will in¬ 
deed be v a precedent beyond all 
precedents. Rita Hayworth’s 
whilom spouse, the Moslem Aly 
(Continued on page 20) 

Grace Kelly OK’s Hearst 
Plug for Wedding Song 

Hollywood, April 10. 

Biggest new tune promotion in 
many years will be launched by 
the Hearst newspapers late this 
week on the new Dimitri Tiomkin- 
Ned Washington tune, “The Prince 
and Princess Waltz.” Song was 
dedicated to Grace Kelly, who has 
accepted 'the dedication and 
granted permision for the exten¬ 
sive promotional tieup.ip advance 
of her wedding April 19 to Prince 
Rainier of Monaco. Russ Morgan 
is disking it on Decca. 

Under the deal with the Hearst 
organization, the piano copy with 
lyrics will be printed in all Hearst 
■newspapers next Sunday (15). It 
also will be distributed via King 
Features Syndicate, to all news¬ 
papers subscribing to that service, 
and presumably will be used by 
(Continued on page 20) 


“My Fair Lady,” at the Mark 
Hellinger Theatre, N.Y., repre¬ 
sents a case of the Shuberts ma¬ 
neuvering themselves out of the 
hottest-grossing musical in recent 
years. The show had been set to 
go into the Shubert-owned Broad¬ 
way Theatre, but when J. J. Shu- 
bert held up the contract in an 
apparent effort to get better shar¬ 
ing terms, producer Herman Levin 
called off the deal and arranged 
with Anthony Brady Farrell to 
book the Hellinger. j 

That’s more or less a repeat of 
the case of “Guys and Dolls,” 
which producers Cy Feue* & 
Ernest H. Martin had aimed for a 
Shubert house, but switched to 
the City Playhouses - owned 46th 
Street Theatre when a last-minute 
hitch developed with the late Lee 
Shubert, at that time senior part¬ 
ner and boss of the Shubert firm. 

Levin and librettist-lyricist Alan 
Jay Lerner are understood to have 
30% slices each, and composer 
Frederick Loewe a 20% cut of the 
management’s 60% share of “My 
Lady Fair.” Columbia Broadcast¬ 
ing System, which supplied the en¬ 
tire $360,000 capital (including 
20% overcall), gets 40% of the 
show, which cost about $400,000 
(Continued on page 70) 

Paid Backer Auditions 
Latest Off-B’way Angle; 
$3.45 Top to See ‘Satan’ 

Prospective legit angels are 
now being asked to pay admission 
to auditions of a new show. The 
looksee fee is being charged by 
the Drury Lane Players in a drive 
to raise coin for a proposed 
Broadway production of “House 
of Satan,” by Dennis O’Donohue. 

Instead of holding the usual 
cuffo auditions, the group is invit¬ 
ing prospective backers to buy 
tix to a series of off-Broadway 
productions of the comedy-drama. 
The first of the presentations be¬ 
gan last week at the Carnegie Re¬ 
cital Hall, with three consecutive 
evening performances at $3.45 and 
$2.30. 

. A date at the Brooklyn Academy 
’.of Music at basically the same 
price scale will be set soon. 
“Satan” was originally showcased 
by the Drury Lane crew in No¬ 
vember, 1954, at the Malin Pre¬ 
view Theatre, N.Y. 

Last year, the outfit made an 
offbeat try at raising $600,000 via 
the sale of pairs of tickets to 80,- 
000 subscribers. The ducats were 
to have been applied to the first 
12-20 weeks of the play’s run, de¬ 
pending on the size of the house 
booked. 

It was figured that the $600,000 
would cover the' production cost 
and the overhead for the period 
covered by the subscription sale, 
with some coin left over. 






2 


miscellany 


t^SfOETY 


Wednesday, April 11 , 1955 


Writer Guild s National Censorship 
Body to Comhat Pressure Groups 


♦ » t ft ttttttttttttf t»t ttttt t 

:: Kent’s Profile of ‘Variety’ jj 

♦ ♦♦♦»♦ *4 4 M ♦ t4 M ♦ nUtMMMMIMMIIIM i " 


Hollywood, April 10. 4 

Formation of a national censor¬ 
ship committee is part of a con¬ 
certed drive against pressure 
groups, being planned by Writers 
Guild of America. Sentiment of 
WGA is that there are too many 
self-appointed custodians of cen¬ 
sorship today and it opposes “the 
type of censorship they seek to 
impose,” a Guild source explained. 

No definite plan of action has 
been formulated, but committees 
will be appointed to go into the 
situation April 14-15 when WGA 
has its semi-annual session here, 
and long-range aim of the Guild 
is legislation curbing censorship 
from extremist groups, although it 
was conceded by the Guild source 
this isn’t anticipated for from four 
to five years. 

“Writers are congenitally against 
censorship,” explained the Guild 
spokesman. WGA feelings in the 
matter were ruffled by the report 
of Sen. Kefauver’s Senate commit¬ 
tee accusing pix of containing too 
much brutality. “Our screen writ¬ 
ers branch president, Dan Tara- 
dash, was called by Senator Ke¬ 
fauver’s committee during its hear¬ 
ings, but although he was waiting 
to testify for threv days they nev¬ 
er called him to the stand,” the 
spokesman beefed. “Criticism of 
the writer of the pictures is in¬ 
herent in such attacks. Producers 
are responsible for the pictures, 
but perhaps the writer is at fault, 
W'e would like to go into this whole 
situation ourselves. Perhaps we 
will formulate a censorship code 
to guide our members,” added the 
source. 

Referring again to the pressure 
groups, the Guild spokesman said, 
"we want to educate, and if neces¬ 
sary, to combat these groups so 
that we can have artistic freedom 
for the writer. We are opposed to 
reactionary and extreme pressure 
groups of any kind.” 

The Guild has been involved in 
many negotiations for the past four 
years, but now that this period 
is nearly over, it's desirous of do¬ 
ing^ something about it it feels is 
too much censorship. 

Patachou Big Click On 
Mex City Nitery Date 

Mexico City, April 10. 

Patachou is socko at the swanky 
Versailles (Hotel Del Prado) nitery 
here where she opened a six-week 
date on April 5. French vocal 
stylist is proving one of the biggest 
draws to play the spot, according 
to manager Roberto Algara. She Is 
getting $4,000 weekly plus $3,000 
travelling (all plane) expenses, he 
revealed. Contract has no exten¬ 
sion option because of Miss Pat- 
chou’s dates elsewhere. 

Versailles date is exclusive, not 
because of any contract clause but 
because Patachou has discouraged 
other engagements here, such as 
stage, radio and tv, because she 
demands more coin than they can 
pay, it is reported. 


Vanderbilt’s Lectures 

Cornelius Vanderbilt Jr.’s up¬ 
coming fall lecture tour has al¬ 
ready been sold in 22 cities. Tagged 
"Africa Unrehearsed,” it’ll be a 
picture-palaver potpourri of his 
current African trek. Celebrity 
Bureau in Beverly Hills and Red- 
path in Chicago are handling the 
bookings. 

Vanderbilt is currently being se¬ 
rialized in the Ladies Home Jour ; 
nal with “The Vanderbilt Feud.” It 
will be published in book form in 
October in the U. S., England, Ger¬ 
many and South Africa. 


Princess Meg a Royal 
Hypo of London Shows; 
Helped ‘Cranks,’ ‘Faces’ 

Princess Margaret is proving to 
be a valuable and much sought 
after patron of show business. More 
than some other members of the 
royal family, her support of any 
venture usually insures b.o. results. 

An example is the current West 
End revue, “Cranks.” When that 
show was playing at the Watergate 
Club Theatre, the Princess saw it 
at an ordinary public performance 
half xvay through its run, and the 
resulting publicity h el p e d to 
achieve its subsequent transfer to 
the St. Martin’s Theatre. 

On the day of the final dress re¬ 
hearsal, prior to its St. Martin’s 
opening, the Princess spent some 
hours in the theatre with the di¬ 
rector, and reportedly offered sug¬ 
gestions which were incorporated 
into the performance. So far as the 
paying public was concerned, the 
resultant publicity implied royal 
endorsement of the revue and it 
has been playing to capacity biz 
ever since. 

More recently, Margaret went to 
a tv studio and joined in the sing¬ 
ing of “Lizzie Borden,” one of the 
songs from Leonard Sillman’s 
“New Faces.” That helped put the 
number into the hit class and has 
brought the “New Faces” picture 
back for a West End run at the 
Curzon Theatre. 

Since London papers always re¬ 
port the attendance of members of 
the royal family at’ the theatre, the 
frequent presence of Princess Mar¬ 
garet at West End shows, is a ma¬ 
jor boxoffice factor, especially be¬ 
cause of her wellknown interest in 
show biz. Managements are nat¬ 
urally well awve of all that. 


Producer George Seaton, who 
returns to the Coast this weekend, 
likes the Jerry Wald idea of closed- 


Nizer as Cleffer 

Louis Nizer, Paramount Pictures 
v.p. and general counsel, is being 
showcased as songwriter on a RCA 
Victor EP set tagged “Songs For 
You.” Tunes were composed by 
Nizer for each of his six children. 

Shannon Bolin vocals the num¬ 
bers for the Victor set, with Marty 
Gold’s orch accomping. 


Films Top Video 
On Tfaesp Greats 

Film industry is stocked with 
dramatic thespianism to a point 
far outdistancing television: Latter 
medium hag - its comedic, vocalistic 
and variety show personalities but 
the drama names of prominence 
are absent. 

This is the angle which the Mo¬ 
tion Picture Industry Council on 
the Coast was urged to impress 
upon the public. The recommenda¬ 
tion was madfr by George Glass, 
v.p. of Hecht-Lancaster Produc¬ 
tions. In New York this week, he 
told members of MPIC that the 
industry should return to the “star 
system” for the purpose of main¬ 
taining its edge over tv on the 
emoting personnel front. 

Glass wants an organized effort 
made in this direction, with all stu¬ 
dios participating. They’d seek to 
develop new stars by coupling 
newcomers with the veterans in 
certain productions. And junkets 
to the field would be carried oyt 
systematically. These approaches 
have been taken through the years, 
but not on any uniform basis. 

Hollywood’s greatest selling 
point is a tombination of its stars 
and drama, Glass repeated, and 
asks that this fact be dramatized 
in the fight against the tv com¬ 
petition. 


4 Mex Nitery Singers 

Killed in Auto Crash 

Mexico City, April 10. 

Four pop Mexican radio-nitery 
singers, Miguel "Huvalcaba, 35, his 
wife, Marcela, 30, Redault O’Espi¬ 
nosa, 29, and Maria de Lourdes 
Gamboa 25, were killed last week 
when the automobile in which they 
were returning here from dates 
in Acapulco, Pacific Coast resort 
city, swerved and fell into a ravine 
during a rain storm. Crash oc¬ 
curred near Chilpancingo, capital 
of Guerrero state. 

Gracela Gamboa" 23, Maria’s sis¬ 
ter, a member of the troupe, and 
Odelia, 5, the Ruvalcaba’s daugh¬ 
ter, were injured. 


circuit television “in theory but 
not in reality” because only 100 
theatres, with 2,000 capacity aver¬ 
age per house, are equipped for 
such an event. “But -say there was 
even a 5,000,000 capacity, what is 
that compared to thie 45,-50,000,000 
audience from television? After 
all, our main function is to sell the 
picture business as widespread as 
possible. Furthermore, a closed- 
circuit theatre tv hookup is already 
a pre-sold audience.” 

Seaton points up that, after all, 
the public “got mad at Oldsmobile 
for those commercials, not us; in 
fact, we got plenty of letters com¬ 
miserating with us.”- 

Seaton likes the idea of the dis¬ 
tributors underwriting the Oscsr- 
casts and he’s due back in May, 
before going on a European busi¬ 
ness-pleasure trip, “to plead the 
cause with the Johnston office top¬ 
pers.” 

Seaton and his family sail June 
27 for a tour of Berlin, Hamburg, 
Copenhagen, England, Wales, etc., 
combined with a pitch for Par’s 
“Proud and Profane.” His partner, 
Bill Perlberg, precedes him, sailing 
in May, to talk it up. with the ex¬ 
changes, etc. “After all, with the 
foreign market so important, we 
all gotta go out and peddle ’em,” 
says Seaton. ( 


!The spotlight that Variety put 
oil itself during 1955 as ballyhoo 
for the Golden Jubilee Number 
fetched strong reaction. This pa¬ 
per, heretofore given to a rather 
rigid standoffishness about itself, 
for once somewhat personalized 
matters. 

The interest these “trailers” en¬ 
gendered will prompt more of 
same from time to time, if and as 
occasion warrants. An occasion 
arises in the death last week of 
Hugh Kent, longtime managing 
editor of the N. Y. Morning Tele¬ 
graph, who knew the Variety 
bunch in the early 1920s at a time 
when the literati, all of a sudden, 
discovered Variety. 

It gave" founder-publisher Sime 
Silverman a strange kick when 
“the Mencken-Nathan set,” seemed 
suddenly enamored of Variety. 
Sime always shied from this kind 
of spotlighting but he stood still 
for Hugh Kent to do what may 
have been the first published pro¬ 
file of the paper, 

Kent was a regular Variety of¬ 
fice drop-in, often up on the top 
floor lifting a few with the guys. 

Cleve. Plain Dealer’s 
Ward Marsh Draws SRO 
At 40th Anni Banquet 

Cleveland, April 10. 

Four decades of writing about 
films, stars and “more hams than 
Swift ever produced” (to quote 
Bob Hope) paid off for W. Ward 
Marsh, film critic of the Cleveland 
Plain Dealer, in terms of national 
recognition. 

That tribute came from the mo¬ 
tion picture industry when its 
brass from Hollywood, New York 
and Cleveland treated Marsh to 
many handsome surprises at a tes¬ 
timonial banquet Monday (8) in 
celebrating his 40 years at the 
keys. 

George Murphy, Metro player 
and good-will ambassador, flew In 
with a good-sized Coast contingent 
to toastmaster. Marsh was crowned 
“dean of America’s film critics” by 
the emcee who told how the vet¬ 
eran reviewer swam through mil¬ 
lions of miles of celluloid with 
“untiring- enthusiasm and intelli¬ 
gent, constructive criticism without 
ever losing his sense Of humor.” 

Guest of honor was also lauded 
by a score of studio execs, whom 
he often met on his Hollywood 
junkets, for his “sympathetic un¬ 
derstanding, honesty and great 
help in making Ohioans morp 
movie-minded.” This was the sen¬ 
timent expressed by such produc¬ 
ers as Jerry Wald, Nat Holt, Louis 
de Rochemont, Jack Skirball and 
Ross Hunter who attended the $15- 
per-plate dinner. 

Visitors who extended more best 
wishes to Marsh included Charles 
McCarthy of COMPO, Ernest Em- 
erling of Loew’s,. Mori Krushen of 
United Artists, John Curth ' and 
Richard M. Altschuler of Republic 
and John Royal of NBC. 

Local showmen and distributors 
spent several months organizing 
this unique national tribute to 
Marsh. Plans for the shindig were 
started by a Cleveland committee, 
headed by Frank Murphy of Loew’s 
Theatres and Jack Silverthorne of 
the Hippodrome, when they 
learned the critic marked his 40th 
year of service on the Plain Dealer 
staff Dec. 11. 

At that time the vet film editor 
was flooded with telegrams of con¬ 
gratulations from scores of Holly¬ 
wood stars, brass and New York 
theatre chain officials. Dore Schary 
of Metro wired him: “Congratula¬ 
tions for serving your paper, your 
readers and our industry with in¬ 
telligence, dignity and high inter¬ 
est all these years.” 

Marsh was presented with a 
plaque of “gratitude for distinctive 
work” from motion picture indus¬ 
try of .U. S., a $500 bond from the 
banquet sponsors and a citation 
from the Cleveland City Council. ' 

Critic was also praised for his 
“fearless integrity and far-reach¬ 
ing good influence” by Ohio’s Gov. 
Frank Lausche, Mayor Frank Cele- 
brezze and the Plain Dealer’s man¬ 
agement. 

Party teed off by showing of two 
silent films dating back to 1915. 
Marsh related humorous anecdotes 
about pix celebs he met in his 40- 
year career while thanking the 
crowd of 130 diners and the film 
industry for its ‘‘heart-warming 
best wishes.” > 


Kent was then steady-dating, later 
married, and later yet, divorced 
Bland Johaneson. ' She was the 
film critic of the N. Y. Mirror and 
also a frequent Variety office 
visitor. Sime insisted she was the 
only looker at the time among 
femme* reviewers, an opinion that 
probably pleased Miss Johaneson 
but would not have made Sime’s 
reputation as a gallant with other 
gal qdtics. 

Anyhow H. L. Mencken duly 
■printed a lengthy essay which is 
reproduced, in part, as follows: 

(From American Mercury, 

Dec. 1926; 

y&filETY 

By HUGH KENT 

An American newspaper man in 
I Paris was sued for divorce. A 
tabloid weekly theatrical newspa¬ 
per, published in _New York, and 
filled with ugly type', heavy black 
advertisements and the most atro¬ 
cious English ever.put into print, 
was named as co-respondent by his 
wife. She said that when the pa¬ 
per arrived^every week, her hus¬ 
band did not speak to her during 
the two days required to read it 
from cover to* cover. The Paris 
court record shows that the suit 
was withdrawn on the understand¬ 
ing that the husband should cancel 
his subscription to the paper. It 
was Variety. 

Variety’s grammar is barbarous; 
its style is original and unique and 
completely independent of any 
other ■ writing; its phraseology is 
wild and revolutionary and its dic¬ 
tion is the result of miscegenation 
(Continued on page 18) 

Turkish Embassy Sponsors 
‘Bosporus Perry €omo’ 

Washington, April 10. 

Turkish Embassy is promoting 
Celal Ince, a pop singer as Bospho- 
rous Perry Como. 

Ince will be formally launched 
here tomorrow (11) when he en¬ 
tertains at a party in honor of two 
visiting members of the Turkish 
Parliament. He is his country’s top 
recording artist and has been the 
leading entertainer at Istanbul’s 
Taxim Nighty Club. He has also 
composed several Turkish hit 
tunes. 

The young baritone who, in the 
#ords of the Turkish press attache, 
is “the singing idol of Turkey and 
neighboring countries in the Near 
East,” has memorized the words 
of a number of American pop tunes 
which he includes in his repertory. 

Seven months ago he won a 
scholarship to the Chicago Con¬ 
servatory of Music. In addition to 
taking lessons, he had several try¬ 
outs in Chicago niteries and local 
broadcast stations. He has also 
been serving as disc jockey for a 
Voice of American program to Tur¬ 
key. 


'BRIDEY MURPHY' TO LISTEN 


Pueblo Housewife’s ‘Iffy* Deal with 
Hollywood Agents 


Hollywood, April 10. 

Mrs. Jean Tighe, the PUeblo, 
Colo., housewife who attracted na¬ 
tionwide attention under the pseu¬ 
donym of Ruth Simmons, the origi¬ 
nal Bridey Murphy, has given 
Herman Hov.er and George Schlat¬ 
ter an oral commitment to repre¬ 
sent her for possible television and 
other showbiz deals. Unusual as¬ 
pect of the situation is that they 
cannot commit her, but can only 
submit proposals to her. 

“Actually,” said Hover, "we 
don’t know that we can deliver 
her for anything. All We know is 
that if we can’t - deliver her, no 
one can.” 

Understood Mrs. Tighe is willing 
to consider tv offers if she is not 
held up to ridicule, and if the sub¬ 
ject of hypnotic regression is 
treated seriously. 

Schlatter located her in Colo¬ 
rado, several weeks ago, before her 
real identity was revealed. Deal 1 
was made on the. basis that Hover 
and Schlatter had no specific of¬ 
fers and wanted no deals but 
merely wished to be in a* position 
to bring her in contact with tv 
producers and others who might 
be interested in her appearance. 
Mrs. Tighe.agreed with the specific 
understanding that they would 
serve merely as a clearing house 
and that she would make any and 
all decisions as to subject, time, 
money, etc. 


To ... 
Street 
City. . 


VARIETY 

Subscription Order Form 

Enclosed find check for $ 

Please send VARIETY for years 

* 

(Please Print Name) 


Zone.... State. 


Regular Subscription Rates 
One Year—$10.00 Two Years—$18.00 

Canada and Foreign—$1 Additional Per Year 

f'SfHETr Inc. 

154 West 44th Street New York 36. N. Y. 


George Seatons Oscarcast Slants 


Closed-Circuit’* Limited Circulation—Other Practi¬ 
calities—Thinks Public Loathed Oldsmobile Com’ls 







Wednesday, April 11, 1956 


P^RIETY 


PICTURES 


EUROPE ‘DOPEY’, WON’T SELL U.S. 


‘Volatile’ Is the Word 

[FOR FILM BUSINESS] 

Films is a business facing an uncertain future—“artistic in na¬ 
ture and therefore volatile as regards the performance of individual 
companies,” according to Richard Abrons, analyst for Carl M. Loeb, 
Rhoades & Co. On the downbeat side he notes the unfavorable 
fourth quarter of 1955', the potential threat of color television and 
home toll tv. 

So far as the distributors are concerned, the Rhoades scholar 
cites the growth of ty abroad as possibly having an adverse ef¬ 
fect on overseas earnings. 

But the outlook is not all dismal, states Abrons. Diversification, 
asset values, including film libraries, which are not realistically 
reflected in market prices, and more economical operations all 
tend to favor various of the companies. 

Abrons is high, he says, on Paramount, 20th-Fox and Loew’s. 
These “offer good value at present prices and have validity as 
long-range speculations.” 


The Wrong Man Hitches Hitchcock 


N.Y. Cops Coy on Cooperation For Story of How 
They Bum-Rapped Stork Club Tooter 

4 - 


Rimt jurisdiction of NY. 
and Hollyioood cameramen's 
unions also complicated the 
anguish of director Hitchcock, 
supplementing the facts out¬ 
lined'below. Hitchcock brought 
cameraman Bob Burke east 
from Hollywood for Manhat¬ 
tan lensing. 

Hitchcock party is expected 
back in Hollywood for peace 
and quiet pronto. 


Alfred Hitchcock is feeling like 
he picked the wrong city for his 
current production of “The Wrong 
Man” for Warners. At least, asso¬ 
ciates of the producer-director 
believe they’ve hit far more than 
the usual volume of snags in trying 
to location the property in New 
York. 

“Man” is slanted as a factual 
account of the Stprk Club musician 
who was accused of robbing the 
office of an insurance company in 
Long Island, was tried and con¬ 
victed. He was identified in the 
lineup, imprisoned and later re- 
• leased when the real felon was 
discovered. He sued the city, won 
his case, but his wife had mean¬ 
while suffered a mental break¬ 
down. 

Hitchcock had all this put into 
scenario form, brought in Henry 
Fonda for the lead role, assigned 
Robert Burks to the camera, and 
started shooting in Gotham March 
28. 

That’s when the trouble started. 
Local police, unhappy over having 
been instrumental in the convic¬ 
tion of an innocent man, were re¬ 
luctant to cooperate with Hitch¬ 
cock. Actual witnesses in the case 
similarly were disinclined to lend 
an assist. 

Sherman Billingsley, proprietor 
of the Stork, at first didn’t want 
his inn involved, but now has con¬ 
sented to have Hitchcock and his 
crew over on April 22 to recon¬ 
struct part of the story. Further, 
there’s been confusion, over who 
has authority over the Manhattan 
felony court when a jurist is not 
actually sitting on the bench. The 
problems arose when the picture 
company wanted to move in. 

Hitchcock is moving along with 
his film, of course, but only after 
delay and anxiety. 


REYNOLDS DUE BACK TO 
SHILL UA’S INTRIGUE’ 

Sheldon Reynolds is due back 
. from Paris in three weeks for an 
exploitation tour of “Foreign In- 
tngue,” his first full-length feature 
lor United Artists. It stars Robert 
1 t c h u m, Genevieve Page 
| French) and Ingrid Tulean 
'Swedish), both making their de- 
hiit in a pic for the American 

market. 

Reynolds, based in France, has 
longtime producer-packager 
ot the tv series of the. same name 
this is an original screenplay 
ich he produced and directed 
abroad' oh actual locations. 


Max ArnowtoNewYork 
To Work With Lantz On 
Hecht-Lancaster Stable 

Hecht-Lancaster Productions is 
continuing on the move. Max 
Arnow, who recently shifted from 
talent director for Columbia on the 
Coast to H-L, is due in New York 
shortly to work with Shirlee Lantz, 
eastern story and casting chief, on 
plans for building a roster of play¬ 
ers. 

In " view of the company’s 
crowded calendar, there’s not 
much chance that thesps taken 
under contract will remain idle. 
H-L has 14 productions on a defi¬ 
nite agenda involving a claimed 
overall budget of $31,000,000. 

The unit has business offices 
housed in Col’s N.Y. homeoffice. 
When Col moves out to new quar¬ 
ters this year, H-L intends to take 
on considerably more space. 

The H-L (and United Artists) 
focus at present is on “Trapeze,” 
now completed in Paris at a nega¬ 
tive outlay of $3,000,000. That’s 
the figure dropped by Harold 
Hecht at a cocktail party given for 
him by UA brass at 21 Club last 
week. 

Hecht went off to the Coast at 
the weekend and will be joined 
shortly by Arthur B. Krim, UA 
president, and Robert S. Benjamin, 
board chairman, for discussions of 
an extension of their distribution 
contract. 


RETCHIN-GANZER MAY 
'PO MICHEHER YARN 

Hollywood, April 10. 

Paramount is negotiating ,with 
Norman Retchin and Alvin Ganzer 
to write, produce and direct James 
Michener’s “The South Sea Story” 
on location next fall. Film would 
be made in YistaVision. 

There have been several screen¬ 
plays of the property, but Retchin 
and Ganzer would rewrite the avail¬ 
able material with Retchin produc¬ 
ing and Ganzer directing. Team 
had a similar stint on “The Leather 
Saint” at Paramount. 


Husband-Wife Hit Road 
For ‘Lovers & Lollipops’ 

Husband-wife producing team of 
Morris Engel and Ruth Orkin has 
set a bally sked of press confer¬ 
ences, television appearances, etc., 
in behalf of their new feature, 
“Lovers and Lollipops.” They’re 
angling to stir interest in, the small- 
scale entry similarly astheir first 
film,.“The Little Fugitive,” copped 
attention a couple of years ago. 
“Fugitive” played 4,500 dates de¬ 
spite its lightweight budget. 

Miss Orkin left New York Mon¬ 
day (2) for the publicity rounds on 
the Coast, while Engle will do the 
drumbeating in N. Y. for “Lolli¬ 
pops.” Lensed in Gotham, the film 
has Lori March, Gerald > O’Lough- 
lin and Cathy Dunn in the cast. 


EXPORT NOTHING 
BUT FILM HAN 

By FRED HIFT 

European producers, although 
eager to make a dent in the Amer¬ 
ican market, are repeatedly miss¬ 
ing out on one of the prime pre¬ 
requisites for success in the states 
—the preparation of adequate pub¬ 
licity material. 

Number of imports released here 
recently, or ready to launch, have 
been severely handicapped by the 
scarcity of information concerning 
the pictures themselves, their stars 
and the people who made the films. 

The result, say importers, is that 
it’s extremely difficult to get de¬ 
cent breaks in the publicity media 
ordinarily used to sell film. To 
make matters worse, not only is 
the required info not provided 
when the film arrives, but it’s very 
difficult to get even after the 
American outfit lights bonfires to 
obtain it in Europe. 

‘•(Foreign pictures, even the good 
ones, usually arrive here without 


Failure to Communicate 

The gap between U. S. and 
European ways of handling 
# film publicity isn’t one that 
can be bridged by merely 
sending instructions. 

“You can write to Europe, 
and explain all you want, it 
still doesn’t do any good. They 
just have a different mental¬ 
ity,” complained one exas¬ 
perated indie. 


color stills and with an absolute 
minimum of detail about their pro¬ 
duction,” complained one of the 
indies last week. “We have to 
scrounge around for bits and 
pieces. The cooperation we get 
from Europe is practically nil.” 

The situation is becoming of in¬ 
creasing concern to those who 
bring in overseas product. It is 
frustrating not only for it’s own 
sake, but also because Europeans 
generally—even if alerted—fail to 
recognize and appreciate the re¬ 
quirements of the U. S. market. 

“They simply Gon’t understand 
how a picture is sold here,” noted 
one of the indies. “It goes down 
as far as the still situation. The 
(Continued on page 18) 


Todd Seen Shooting ‘War and Peace’ 
In Russia as Co-Production 


16 Pre-Publication Deals 
Among Stories Upcoming 
From the Metro Lot 

Hollywood, April 10, 

Metro has intensified its cam¬ 
paign to acquire new material be¬ 
fore it reaches the public in any 
other medium and now has 16 such 
properties ready or in prepara- 
tipn. All the stories, according to 
produc ion chief Dore Schary, were 
acquired by the studio before they 
appeared in print. 

Lineup includes Leon Uris’ “The 
Big Dream,” now in the scripting 
stage; “The House of Numbers,” 
upcoming book which will be con¬ 
densed in Cosmopolitan; “The 
Flood,” slated for Saturday Eve¬ 
ning Post publication; “Don’t Go 
Near the Water,” William Brink¬ 
ley’s upcoming book; “Robert Ru- 
ark’s “Something of Value” and 
Lion Feuchtwanger’s novel, “Ra¬ 
chel.” 

“Raintree County," which rolls 
late this month, was acquired 10 
years prior to publication. Others 
on the list are “The Amazing Nel¬ 
lie Bly,” “The Year of Love,” “The 
Power and the Prize,” “Designing 
Woman,” “Wonderland,”-' “Num¬ 
ber Four with Flowers” (an unpro¬ 
duced teleplay), “The Wreck of the 
Mary Deare,” “How High Is Up?” 
and “Pattern of Malice,” which was 
acquired prior to its tv presenta¬ 
tion. 


Magna Vexed at Todd, 

‘80 Days’ Hampered 

Refusal of Mike Todd to book 
his next Todd-AO processed fea¬ 
ture, “Around the World in 80 
Days” at the Rivoli Theatre in 
N. Y. has provoked a feud with 
George Skouras and Magna. 

Resultantly Todd is on Coast to 
protect his right to finish “80 
Days” at Kling Studios which has 
been the Todd-AO headquarter 
studio and alone has the gear nec¬ 
essary to finish. 

Skouras is believed to be taking 
position that one good turn de¬ 
serves another and Todd cannot 
expect them while rejecting them. 


■4- First Russo-American coproduc¬ 
tion may be in the offing with Mike 
Todd’s reported plans to make 
“War and Peace” in Moscow. 

Todd said on the Coast last week 
that he had “no comment” on the 
report, but added: “If there is an 
announcement, it should come from 
the State Department.” 

It is known that props and other 
material put together in Yugo¬ 
slavia, when Todd still planned to 
shoot his “War and Peace” there, 
have been shipped to Moscow. 
There was also a report that Todd’s 
production deal with the Soviets 
included their use of .the Todd-AO 
lenses. However, Todd denied this. 

He hinted that he might have 
some’hing new” to disclose along 
this line, adding mysteriously: 
“Maybe I won’t make picture in the 
Todd-AO system any more.” Todd 
has an arrangement with Magna 
Theatre Corp. under which he has 
the right to make a series of pix in 
the process over the next five 
years. He’s recently had a falling • 
out wiUi Magna. 

Check with the Soviet Embassy 
in Washington found Russian offi¬ 
cials in the dark on the projects. 

We haven’t heard anything about 
it,” a spokesman said. Although 
q.t., Todd has recently been in 
Europe. 

The Russians in recent months 
have called for coproduction with 
the U. S: Gregory Alexandrov, a 
Soviet director and industry offi¬ 
cial, while visiting N. Y. last month, 
said the Red studios were eager 
for collaboration. However, the 
primary emphasis at that time was 
on the sale of Hollywood features 
to Russia. 

If Todd goes ahead wi'h “War 
and Peace,” it’ll be the second 
version of the Tolstoy novel to hit 
the screen. Paramount has com¬ 
pleted one with Mel Ferrer and 
Audrey Hepburn in Italy. Under 
Todd’s Yugoslav arrangements 
Tito was to have given full coop¬ 
eration via use of his troops as 
extras. 

Todd has comple’ed a second 
Todd-AO picture, '■“Around the 
the World in 80 Days.” The first 
was “Oklahoma.” 


National Boxoffice Survey 

Trade Tapers Post-Easter; ‘Carousel’ No. 1, ‘Alex’2d, 
‘FlanneP 3d, ‘Anything’ 4th, ‘Holiday’ 5th 


While firstrun biz is off from 
last week’s terrific gait, trade at 
the wickets in most key cities cov¬ 
ered by Variety is holding up re¬ 
markably well. Showing this ses¬ 
sion is unusual for the large num¬ 
ber of films which are racking up 
sizable totals. Sudden snowstorm 
last Sunday crippled take in such 
keys as N. Y., Philly and Boston. 

“Carousel” (20th), which was 
edged out of No. 1 spot last week 
by “Alexander the Great” (UA), is 
back in first place again this ses¬ 
sion. “Alex” is finishing second. 
“Man in Gray Flannel Suit” (20th), 
just being launched in a few keys 
last round, is copping third money, 
playing in some nine key spots. 

“Anything Goes” (Par), third 
last stanza, is winding up fourth. 
“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) is fifth 
while “Oklahoma’.’ (Magna) is tak¬ 
ing over sixth position. “Cry To¬ 
morrow” (M-G) again is finishing 
seventh, same as last week. “Meet 
Me in Las Vegas” (M-G) is climb¬ 
ing up to eighth place. 

“Conqueror” (RKO) will capture 
ninth spot with “Picnic” (Col) in 
10th. “Backlash” <U) and “Song 
of South” (BV) (reissue) round 
out the Golden Dozen in that order. 

“Forbidden Planet” (M-G), “Doc¬ 
tor at Sea” (Rep), “Diabolique” 
(UMPO) and “Miracle in Rain” 
(WB) are the runner-up films cur¬ 
rently. 

Outside of “Serenade” (WB), 
the new fare getting around this 
session does not shape up as socko. 
The Mario Lanza starrer still is 


great in third week at N. Y. Music 
Hall, with its Easter stageshow, 
and sock in Philly. “Patterns” 
(UA) is mild both in N. Y. and 
L. A. 

‘Comanche” (Col),-hef‘y in Phil¬ 
ly, is rated thin in L. A. However, 
“Rock Around Clock,” from same 
company, looms fast in Detroit, 
stout in Omaha and smash in Port¬ 
land, Ore. “Threshold of Space” 
(20th) is doing nicely in N. Y. and 
Seattle. “Gaby” (M-G) is rated 
good on its preem in L. A. 

“Creature Walks Among Us” (U) 
shapes sock in Chi. “Tribute to 
Bad Man” (M-G) looms okay in 
Pitt. “Ladykillers” (UMPO), 
hefty in Toronto, is smash in N. Y. 

“Marty” (UA). out on second 
runs, is tall in St. Loo and Port¬ 
land. “Court Jester” (Par) looms 
socko in Montreal and neat in 
L. A. 

“Bold and Brave” (RKO) shapes 
fair in Detroit. “Man Who Never j 
Was” (20th) is proving what a; 
good campaign will do by landing j 
a big take in N. Y. j 

“Rose Ta'too” (Par), long high ; 
on the list, is rated sturdy in St. i 
Loo, Philly and Minneapolis. “Red j 
Sundown” (U) is fine in Toronto. [ 
“Harder They Fall” (Col) looks 
disappointing currently. It is so-so | 
in Cincy and bright in K. C., but j 
mild in Cleveland, Philly and Bos- j 
ton. “Golden Arm” <UA), champ I 
for weeks, is rated wow in Montreal j 
and big in Omaha. i 

(Complete Boxoffice Reports on 
Pages 8-9.) 1 


T'RrJety 

Trade Mark Registered 
FOUNDED 1905 b.v SIME SILVERMAN 
Published Weekly by VARIETY. INC 
Harold Erichs. President 
154 West 40th St. New York 06, N Y 
JUdson 2-2700 
Hollywood 2B 
6311 Yucca Street 
a Hollywood 9-1141 

Washington 4 

1292 National Prfess Building 
STerllng 3-5445 
Chicago 11 

612 No Michigan Ave. 
DElaware 7-4904 
London WC2 

6 St Martin’s PL, Trai.ilgar Sq. 
Temple Bar 5041 


SUBSCRIPTION 
Annual $10 Forel 

Single Copies 

gn $1) 
25 Cents 

\BEI. OREEN Editor 

Vol. 202 

No. 6 

INDEX 

Bills . 

.. eo 

Chatter .. 

. . 70 

Circus Review . 

.. 52 

Concert Opera . 

.. 63 

Film Reviews . 

. . 6 

House Reviews . 

. . . 57 

Inside Legit . 

...64 

Inside Music . 

.. 50 

Inside Pictures . 

. . 13 

Inside Rad ; o-TV .... 

. . 40 

International . 

.. 12 

Legitimate . 

. . 61 

Literati . 

.. C9 

Music . 

.. 42 

New Acts . 

.. 50 

Night Club Reviews . 

. . 58 

Obituaries . 

.. 71 

Pictures 

,, n 

Radio-TelevNion. 

23 

Record Reviews . 

42 

Frank Scully . 

. . 69 

Television Reviews . . 

.. 20 

TV Films . 

.. 29 

1 Vaudeville . 

. . 51 


DAILY VARIETY 
(Published in Hollywood by 
Daily Variety, Ltd.) 

$15 a year $20 Foreign 

























PICTURES 


Fashions, Customs, Stars 'Dated’; 

Time Curbs Threat of Backlogs, 

1 As Writers’ Guild Prez Sees It 


Hollywood, April 10. 4- 

Writer worries that the release 
of old theatrical features to tele¬ 
vision will constitute competition 


YUL BRYNNER 'BUCCANEER' 


P’SlRIEfY _ 


,SCHELKOPF ON COAST 

German Studying’U. S. Film Vs. 

Television Situation 

Hollywood, April 10. 

Formation of Bavaria Films, com¬ 
posed of a group of small produc¬ 
ers, is the first step toward bring¬ 
ing the German film industry back 
to the stature it enjoyed prior to 
World War II, Dr. Anton Schel- 
kopf, member of the Motion Pic¬ 
ture Export Association office in 
Munich, disclosed on his arrival 
here last week. He’s in the U. S. 


without additional compensation It’s Wilcoxon All the Way, And to investigate Yankee style rela- 


are largely unfounded, Edmund DeMille Part of The Way tionship between motion pictures 

Hartmann, | president of Writers _ and television. 

Guild of America, West, declared Since the war, Schelkopf pointed 

here. Reasoning: much of the vin- Hollywood, April 10. ou t t ^ Q erman fii m industry has 

tage material is outdated. Yul Brynner will direct and star been composed of a group of de- 

In the regular Guild bulletin sent in a musical version of “The Buc- centralized producers whose output 
to membership, Hartmann added caneer »» which will be produced last y ear totaled 130 films. No 
that the scarcity of old films for . _ ’ . . . great increase in quantity is expect- 

theatrical re-release is ■ indicative at Paramount next year by Henry ed under ^e new setup, but the 

of how few remain timely and in- Wilcoxon. Film is being made un- quality is expected to improve. 

teresting. He pointed out that dia- der “the personal auspices’’ of - 

log, clothes, customs and even Cecil B. DeMille, who made the 

stars, “are hardly able to stand original film in 1937. T* /'T *J * ¥) ' ■ 

competition with new tv films and Wilcoxon has been associate pro- PlfPP I .1111C £ I P&O. 

expensive spectaculars. ducer on seV eral DeMille films, in- * IVV vriliAV U A VOVj 

Hartmann also declared that net c i u ding upcoming “The 10 Com- «« 

execs feel the webs will not sell man dments.’’ D* 

refease’of 6 oM^iiovfes’^These^films • .MScSS EM ™ KlZ “WY 

may well displace some reruns of !i eres ^ ln the .production but theie 

tv films and find good time on lo- bas Freein S of the Chilean peso by 

cal stations. While they could seri- wl11 g0 out under the DeMille ban- that country’s National Foreign 


DeMille Part of The Way 


Free Chile’s Peso; 
Film Biz Happy 


ously reduce residual payments, ner< 

they do not threaten the main 

sources of livelihood for writers,” i 
he said. iFC 

Hartmann commented that “from _ 

the viewpoint of the companies II 

buying up the old films, it would 
be disastrous for them to release 
great batches. Such mass salefe 
could only lessen the value of the I] 


Trade Council was welcomed in 
Manhattan last week by the film 
t *pi • iiT«r i “n • companies. In the past, the dis- 

Irene Thirer Wifely Review trib = had to sen their ;»cai cur- 

Out-Hyperboles Ringling, pe i°" t0 . the *°"* r -. , „ 

Jr 3 Following the freeing of the ex- 

Names 14 Circus Execs 

Irene Thirer, film critic for the good deal below what it used to 


. _ Wednesday, April 11, 1955 


r * 

Denmark: Dubious Battle 

In adjoining space a film theatre operator of Copenhagen 
Denmark, describes the tangled economics which face the 400 
film exhibitors of that kingdom of 4,000,000 population. John 
Ahl-Nielsen is “direktoren” of' the Park “teatret.” He learned 
his English as Danish correspondent of the Chicago Tribune 
from 1921 to 1939 and he now writes in anticipatory commemo¬ 
ration of a dubious kind of “anniversary”-r-one year (May 24) 
of no American moving pictures entering Denmark. 

As to the respective merits of the dispute between the Ameri¬ 
can distributors-and the Danish exhibitors, this journal here ex¬ 
presses no opinion except this: the exclusion of American fea¬ 
tures from any friendly country is a very unhappy predicament. 

Ahl-Nielsen adds another point, not in the adjoining story: 
the old British Navy proverb, “Trade follows the flag,” was up¬ 
dated by the Yanks to “Trade Follows the Films.” Films “Amer¬ 
icanized” European taste and they became the great publicity 
spotlight for the American way of life. The Danish film man 
po:nts out that with European manufacturers now out “to re¬ 
conquer their own markets,” an exclusion of American features 
in any country sets a bad precedent, however small a “morsel” 
the Danish market may be. 

The Copenhagen article is worth special notice. It tells much 
about the Danes’ own psychology and the way one European 
checks with other Europeans on the. problem of American terms. 
For the shockingly constrictive conditions under which Danish 
exhibs live toot America’s fault, naturally) there must be some 
sympathy, though the form that sympathy might take is moot 
and subject to negotiation. In any event, the Copenhagen thea¬ 
tre operator poses the dilemma vividly. 

Though neither country has been particularly hurt to date by 
the Danish situation, the basic condition is unhealthy, since no 
business is always bad business. It is to be hoped that there will 
be no second “anniversary” to observe in the spring of 1957. 

Land. 


DREAM OF ANOTHER 'LIU' 


ration tifeir 6 pictures 'to * t^o^r'a NY - covered the opening of iell in the open market M La?es"°Ch7rm° Item'cGabyT * 

ration tneir pictuies to iv over a the Rin gling Bros.-Barnum & -Film outfits can remit most of _ 

Pe He termed rS 'the post-19'48 pix Bailey circus last week at Madison their earnings in Chile, but * are Recalling its success with “Lili,” 

ne termea me pusi js-to u limited as to imports via a sys- which ran for 93 weeks and 

much more of an eventual threat Square Garden, N.Y., and her tem which se es the Government grossed close to $670 000 at the 
but said a possible dam for the notice amounted to a virtual press- allocating $250,000..a year for the Trans-Lux 52d St. (N.’y. eastside 
flood is the fact that the pover^ agent blurb. As a matter of fact, purchase of pix. Companies can art house) Metro is hoping for a 
ful theatreowner organizations h er husband is a pressagent, one buy footage at 2V6c. per foot for repeat with “Gaby,” which like 
have so far prevented any large na med Zac Freedman, publicity black-and-white and 6c. for color. “Lili” stars Leslie Caron. The new- 


saie of these newer movies to tv. head for the RB-B & B circus. For the purpose of this arrange- est entry is booked for the Trans- 

The revicw °P ened as follows: yent, the official rate of 300 pesos Lux house for the latter part of 
“ It,s the most It>s the best. It's t0 the dollar had been a PP Jied - this month. 

Vnripn th ^iters super-duper colossal. It’s the Great- It‘s not known whether this rate “Gaby,” the story of a French 
1948 pix go to tv, screen writers . Rhnw nn Kart u_ RinfflinB Prnc will be continued or whether it 


Ml J£tPniiS est Show on Earth—Ringling Bros. will be continued or whether it girl’s love for an American para- 

and Barnum & Bailey’s Circus, would be geared to the free mar- trooper, is said to have the same 

agreed to a dearth Allied Art; topping even its own accepted and ket rate. “simolicitv and charm” as “Lili.” 


pix S , and ^abouJ'tonfgotStdto? *^ s ° w ^ ed ga s 1 pl “ d ® r £ '“p^tacl^ 

(C ontinued on page 6 0) thrills, humor and terpsichore,” IH()£|joWD6y RCSUII 

# The P iece was also notable in An IndlP I 

Vnom Vnonne I In naming 14 execs and production 1HU1C I 

OUdlll ijlldUt/O Ull staffers of the big show, including Kenneth McEltfown- 
r r r boss John Ringling North, veep pendent producer who 

^ I Henry Ringling North, conductor inactive since his lensir 

Ao IvAIiT llonmorb’ Izzy Cervone > composer Frank River” for United Art: 
Jllo I tv W 1/GllllldI li Loesser (who contributed several years ago, disclosed thi: 

songs), orchestrator Samuel Gross- plan to resume product 
Film comDanies have moved to man > sta S er Richard Barstow, activation of his compa 
tighten their embargo on imports choreographer Edith Barstow, cos- tal International Films. 


McEIdowney Resuming 
As Indie Producer 


“simplicity and charm” as “Lili.” 
Latter turned out to be one of 
M-G’s biggest hits. The b.o. buiR 
by word of mouth and after more 
than a year’s run the picture was 
equalling the initial week’s grosses 
in its Gotham engagement. 

For runs throughout the country, 
“Gaby” will be booked in both art 


staffers of the big show, including Kenneth McEIdowney, inde- .« ra b V »» will be booked in both art 
boss John Ringling North, veep pendent producer who has been ahd ^eeriar houses lt will be 
Henry Ringling North, conductor inactive since his lensing of “The lau °L£!d in N Y with a benefit 
J- Cervone, composer Frank River” for United Artists a few ^ the ChUdren's Memo- I 

Loesser (who contributed several years ago, disclosed this week his ^ j r; ancer Fluid 

songs), orchestrator Samuel Gross- plan to resume production via re- _ * _ 

man, stager Richard Barstow, activation of his company, Orien- 


LIKillCll U1UA1 ClllUdlgU Ull 1111UU1 LO . T r __ . » ' 

into Spain. tume designer Vertes 1 , general di- He was in New York this week'l 

Motivation, it’s said, is the policy 5. e . ct , or * at Valdo, exec director negotiating for rights to “The 

pursued in Denmark, where an Michael Burke, aenal director Bar- Pearl King,” new book by Robert 

embargo also is in effect. However bette > equestrian director Robert Eunson, Tokyo bureau chief for 

several of the distribs have shipped P <n ’ er » ringmaster Preston Lam- the Associated Press. Producer, 

in fnv cnKtitlino cn sc bCl't and lighting technician Doug vul-m wineffi tft Pnafit tndav 


in product for subtitling so as to 
be ready to go the moment the Moms * 
embargo is lifted. Howev 

Ban on imports into Denmark omitted, 
and Spain applies to members of 
the Motion Picture Export Assn. /•»•«««• 
only and doesn’t affect the indies. L* , | , | 
Nor does it stop American films ^ I I 
made abroad from going into these IkJ A A, 
two countries under their native 
label. Only inhibition is that 
MPEA members aren't supposed to 
distribute any “new” pix. i.e. films 
beyond those for which .there were 


aver, ringmaster Preston Lam- the Associated Press. Producer, 

:rt and lighting technician Doug w ho wings to the Coast today 

oms * (Wed.), also said he’s been talking 

However, Freedman’s name was' a deal to opjerate in the Todd-AO 
nitted. process. 


Europe to N. Y# 

Harry Lee Danziger 
W. A. Darlington 
Dr. Arthur Klein 
Robert Q. Lewis 
E. C. Mathews 
Joseph A. McConville 
Arnold M. Picker 
Bill Shirley 
Carleton Smith 


STIFF LOCAL TAXES/UNKNOWN’U.S. 
TERMS HAUNT DENMARK’S EXHIBS 


contracts at the time the embargo 
was decided on in New York. 

Company spokesmen said there 
were no serious developments in 
Spain to justify the tightening up, 
but added that MPEA apparently 
was in a mood to “set an example.” 
It was felt that the Danish embar¬ 
go agreement left some loopholes 
that needed plugging up. 

In Denmark, the import ban is 
the result of Danish unwillingness 
to raise the rental ceiling, with 
exhibs claiming they’re unable to 
afford higher rentals under exist¬ 
ing taxes. In Spain, two ministries 
are at odds over regulations affect¬ 
ing the American outfits. Tax prob¬ 
lem also is pending. 

Curtis Loses Vs. 20th-Fox 

Los Angelos. April 10. 

California District Court of Ap¬ 
peals upheld lower court ruling in 
favor of 20th-Fox over writer Ar¬ 
thur Curtis. 

Plaintiff, in $200,000 suit, 
charged studio made unauthorized 
use of the title of his book, “Hey, 
Mac! You’re in the Navy Now,” 
for its picture, “You’re in the Navy 
Now.” 


By JOHN AHL-NIELSEN 

* Director, Park Teatret 

Copenhagen, April 10. 

Come May 24 the. 400-odd film theatres of Den¬ 
mark can “celebrate” without joy the first anniver¬ 
sary of the so-called American blockade (Copenhagen 
verbiage) initiated last spring by the Motion Pic¬ 
ture Export Assn, when the Danes refused to boost 
rentals above the 30% maximum. All cinemas here 
are licensed by the Ministry of Justice and are 
severely supervised under the law of 1938 by which 
taxation takes 5/llths of each ticket; that is to say 
the patron paying 2.20 kroner at the boxoffice con¬ 
tributes one kroner to the Government. 

That isn’t the end of it. If an exhibitor’s balance 
sheet shows an annual profit there are extra assess¬ 
ments amounting to 6,400 kroner up to 30,000 
kroner profit and 70% of any profit above that fig¬ 
ure. And get this: such taxes on film theatre profits 
are employed by the Ministry to subsidize legitimate 
theatres and road shows. Legit, the darling here, 
j pays no amusement tax whatever, 
j Danish exhibitors are organized in two sections, 

; one for the capital, Copenhagen, with suburbs and 
one for the rest of the kingdom. These two sec¬ 
tions cooperate through the “mutual-representa¬ 
tion” consisting of five exhibitors from each sec¬ 
tion. 

Negotiations respecting increased rentals for Yan¬ 
kee product have been carried on for a long time 
between MPEA’s Scandinavian representative and 
the aboVd-rtientioned “mutual representation*’ ‘ lout 


under the fiscal conditions confronting them, Danish 
exhibitors have simply not been able to meet the 
American demands. What are these demands? 

The Danes do not actually know. MPEA only 
says: Denmark must pay the same rentals we ob¬ 
tain elsewhere in Europe. Unable to get clear fig¬ 
ure from MPEA the Danes requested Danish em¬ 
bassies and consulates all over Europe to secure 
.data. When answers were returned to Copenhagen 
they were very carefully perused and the ’Answers 
continue to render a most unclear picture of Amer¬ 
ican practice in the European market. 

But several things seem clear: 

(1) Admission prices in Denmark are on'the level 
or a bit higher than in most European territories 
(Danish prices run from kr. 1.50 to 5.—or- at the 
present exchange from 25c to 75c). 

(2) Distributors’ and states’ fiscal control re tax¬ 
able takings seems more reliable in Denmark than 
in a few other European lands due to the fact that 
all seats are numbered and reserved for each sin¬ 
gle issued ticket. 

(3) Several other European territories pay lower 
rentals than Denmark. Or, at same rentals, other 
territories get double-programmes, which are ‘ not 
used in Denmark. 

(4) In several other European territories exhibi¬ 

tion accessories are given gratis or sold cheaper by 
the distributors. • , 

Danish exhibitors now feel that they are between 
.the devil and the deep blue sea, i.e. between . the 
Danish’ st’&te and MPEA bureaucracy. ' j ■> 


N. Y. to Europe 

Ramsay Ames 
Mrs. Hans Bartsch ' 
Stephen Bosustow 
Leslie Caron 
-Natalie Core 
Charles Einfeld 
Leslie Bush-Fekete 
Herman Goldfarb 
Jean Goldwurra 
Arnold Grant 
Lennie Hayton 
Skitch Henderson 
Conrad N. Hilton 
Lena Horne 
Trevor Howard 
Marvin Kohn 
Ike Levy 
Frederick Loewe 
Ilya Lopert 
Andre Mertens 
John M. O’Hare 
Lilli Palmer 
Charles Peck 
Teddy Reno 
Walter Reade Jr. 

Emanuel Sacks 
Ernest L. Scanlon 
Alan Schneider 
Jules C. Stein 
Herb Sterne 
Roger L. Stevens 
Alfred St. Hilaire 
Morris W. Stoloff 
Francis L. Sullivan 
Jack L. Warner 
Herbert Wilcox 

L. A. to N. Y. 

Daniel Blum 
Edmund Goulding 
Anne Jeffreys 
Lee Katz 
Harpo Marx 
Edward Nassour 
Kim Novak 
Gregory Peck 
Milton R. Rackmil 
Thelma Ritter 
Ginger Rogers 
Mickey Rooney 
Leon Roth 
Jan Sterling 
Robert'Sterling 
Will Schuller 
Bianca Stroock 
C. V. Whitney 
Esther Williams 
Walter Winchell ■ 
Jonathan Winters 

N. Y. to L. A. 

Robert S. Benjamin 
Irving Brecher 
Aileen Brenon 
Steve Broidy 
Wendfell Corey 
Billy DeWolfe 
Howard Dietz 
Irving Drutman 
Zsa Zsa Gabor 
Charles L. Glett 
Irving Greenfield 
Arthur B. Krim 
Arthur M. Loew 
Kenneth McEIdowney 
Benjamin Melniker 
Charles C. Moskowitz 
Charles M. Reagan 
George Seaton . 

Spyros P. Skouras 
Louis. Sobol 
Geprg^ WtJlf 


Wednesday, April 11, 1956 


MKrieTy 


PICTURES 


5 


CITE ALOOF, OR PRO-TV, PAPERS 


1 »»»♦ . »»»» M ♦♦»♦♦»♦♦♦♦ > M » MM MM - 

:: New York Sound Track | 

. . . . . . . . • + 

Belated stage version of “Man With the Golden Arm” opens May 20 
at Cherry Lane Theatre and thereby hangs a complicated tale as the 
jack Kirkland script has been around some years, optioned to various 
producers including Fred Finklehoffe. Using 20 characters and sev¬ 
eral scenery changes on the off-Broadway house's 12-foot platform, the 
legit version differs sharply from Otto Preminger’s film treatment and 
sticks closer to the grim novel of Chicago’s Nelson Algr^n, another of 
whose hardboiled works Kirkland is currently turning' into a stage 
vehicle, this time with film rights not sold away . . . Phil O’Brien, 
once a staff attorney at the Motion Picture Producers Assn, and its 
anti-censorship brief-specialist who has recently been in practice with 
his dad, has joined the RKO legal battery in the Manhattan home 
office. 

"The Fifth Season,” Sylvia Regan legiter, has been registered for 
the screen by 20th-Fox. Buzz around is that Gregory Ratoff will pro¬ 
duce and Eddie Cantor, after such a long absence from films, will 
take the lead. Menasha Skulnik had the role on Broadway . . . And 
it looks like Paramount sewed up the rights to Thornton Wilder’s “The 
Matchmaker” and is considering change of title back to original 
"Merchant of Yonkers.” 

Just recovering from a serious operation in Hollywood, stricken 
while trailblazing “Alexander the Great” for UA, Ramsey Ames 'found 
herself in an upper berth LA to NY. When the stewardess told her 
that “perhaps Mr. Wirichell, who has one of the lowers, might change 
with you,” she approached the columnist, “Since you were the first 
to break the story about be my being stricken in New Orleans, and 
since luckily I found my old doctor in Beverly Hills,%etc., and of 
course he surrendered his lower sleeper. Miss Ames return's to Madrid, 
her home base, today (Wed.). She has a bit in “Alexander.”' Max E. 
Youngstein brought her over to do a national, pitch for the Robert 
Rossen film which was shot in Spain. P.S.—Miss Ames is also 
Variety correspondent in Madrid. 

Hecht-Lancaster’s deal with United Artists is up for renewal . . . 
Ginger Rogers in Manhattan . . . George J. Schaefer is producer’s rep 
on Carl Krueger’s “Comanche” . . . A1 Tamarin back from Cuba . . . 
Bernie Kamber was given a participation in “Marty” in acknowledge¬ 
ment of his publicity work on the film . . . V.p. chevrons for Richard C. 
Brown at Samuel Goldwyn Jr.’s Formosa Productions . . . Variety Tent 
of Las Vegas chartered a plane to wing in 48 barkers for the In¬ 
national conclave here May 9-12. That’s doing it big. 

Guy Madison and Andy Devine will recreate their original tele¬ 
vision roles in the Columbia feature film, “Wild Bill Hickok” . . . Dick 
York joined Deborah' Kerr, John Kerr and Leif Erickson in “Tea and 
Sympathy” at Metro . . . Dean Jagger joined the east of “The Great 
Man,” with Jose Ferrer doubling as director ancr star at U. . . . Arthur 
O’Connell, Marlene Dietrioli and Vittorio de Sica will co-star in “Monte. 
Carlo,” to be produced next month in Monaco . . . Aline MacMahon 
returns to screen in Columbia’s “The Guns of Fort Petticoat” . . . 
Alan Ladd’s Jaguar Productions bought Lester Atwell novel, “Off the 
City Streets,” which actor won’t appear in but coproduce with George 
Berthelon . . . Fred Zinnemann signed to produce and direct three pix 
for Paramount on non-exclusive pact. 

Tax troubles looming fbr 20th-Fox in Italy .... Barbara Ruick, star 
of “Carousel,” going into a production of “Kiss Me Kate” at the City 
Center in early May . . . Jean Goldwurm and Mrs. Goldwurm off to 
Europe and the Cannes film fest. The Times Film prexy is prepping 
a new film process for introduction in the U. S. . . . There’s some ques¬ 
tion now on whether IFE Releasing has the Italian “Lost Continent” 
which it announced some time ago. C’Scope tinter is a smash in Eu¬ 
rope . . . There’ll be enough American exhibitors, in Cannes to hold 
a convention. As long as he’s in Europe, Myron N. Blank, Theatre 
Owners of America prexy, will address a meet of the International 
Exhibitors Org. in Paris in early May. 

Composer-conductor Henry Vars signed to score “Gun th£ Man 
Down,” United Artists release of a Morrison-McLaglen production . . . 
George Murphy named official U. S. Government representative at the 
Cannes Film Festival April 23-May 10 . . . RKO feels it has an ex¬ 
clusive in the double-B pictures with “The Bold and the Brave” what 
with all the upcoming P&P films—“The Pride and the Passion,” “The 
Power and the Prize,” and “The Proud and Profane” . . . Universal’s 
general counsel Adolph Schimel will be guest of honor at. the motion 
picture industry’s annual, luncheon May 23 in behalf of the United 
Jewish Appeal ... Tv director Jeffrey Hayden’s first film assignment 
at Metro will be “The Vintage,” from the novel by Ursula Keir. 
Hayden’s wife, Eva Maria Saint, is currently co-starring with Mont¬ 
gomery Clift and Elizabeth Taylor in “Raintree County.” 

“Scandal in Sorrento,” starring Vittorio De Sica and Sophia Loren, 
is Italy’s biggest grosser at the moment. Cinemascope tinter will be 
handled in the U. S. by Distributors Corp. of America . . . Poland 
trying to buy Samuel Goldwyn’s “Guys and Dolls” . . . Herbert Wil¬ 
cox’s proposed coproduction deal with' 20th-Fox fell through because 
20th is interested only in “big” pix and will make them via its own 
^reactivated unit in London . . . Erich Maria Remarque nixed the idea 
of contributing promotional material for Columbia’s “Last Ten Days,” 
the Hitler film. Remarque wrote script . . . Exhjbs came to the 
rescue of harried parents over the Easter holidays by'breaking out 
with kiddie attractions. And about time, too . . . IFE Releasing pre¬ 
paring a soundtrack album from its “Madame Butterfly.” Columbia 
Records was interested but got fouled up on clearances . . . Arthur 
Loew’s planned theatre expansion program for Loew’s abroad in full 
sw * n S- Outfit runs 41 showcases now. 

liny Awards Richard Stephens $12,500 


Agrees Former Exploiteer Damaged By Columbia 
Pictures’ Action 


Richard Stephens, former Co¬ 
lumbia Pictures exploiteer, last 
week was awarded general dam¬ 
ages of $12,500 following a jury 
\nal of his N.Y. Federal Court 
libel suit against the film company. 

After he was dismissed from 
Col s employ in May, 1952, Ste- 
P, e ^ s charged that the company 
iued a claim with a surety firm, 
contending he had misappropriated 
expense money. This claim, he-as¬ 
serted in bis suit, was false and 
Rwdoiie with malicious intent to 
libel him and hold him up to ridi¬ 
cule. 

Jury’s verdict came after.a, two- 


week trial before Judge Thomas 
Murphy. No punitive damages 
were granted. 


ARMOUR, GREEN TO LONDON 

Reginald Armour, Republic Pic¬ 
tures International exec v.p. in 
charge of foreign operations, 
planed-to London last week ' on 
the first leg of a global trip which 
will take him to Beirut, Tokyo, 
Manila, Singapore and Sydney. 

He was accompanied by H. Vic¬ 
tor Green, newly-named director 
of sales for Republic in Great 
Britain. . >' j , ■ 


FILMS HO 01 


| U.S. Pix Rentals In Europe Level Off; 
British Take (1st Quarter) Down 14% 


Despite recent rumblings to the 
contrary, film news seems to be 
holding its own against television 
news in dailies throughout the 
United States. There, are indica¬ 
tions of a gradual encroachment of 
tv copy, but in the main, newspa¬ 
pers are making an earnest effort 
to give equal treatment to both 
mediums. 

Related to the above, newspapers 
that own television stations tend 
to favor video news. But this is 
not the trend in all instances. 

The above deductions are based 
on a quiz of its field press repre¬ 
sentatives by a major film com¬ 
pany. A total of 49 cities from 
coast to coast and from north to 
south were involved in the survey. 
According to the respondent press 
reps, there appears to be a three- 
way split in the type of coverage 
— one-third of the newspapers 
favor films, one-third prefer tele¬ 
vision, and one-third give “equal” 
treatment to both. 

The present state of equality 
varies in degree from city to city 
and in different newspapers, with 
the percentage given each medium 
ranging as high as 75% in favor 
of one over the other—in a few 
instances. The present state of gen¬ 
erally equal coverage when con¬ 
sidered on the whole, while pleas¬ 
ing news to the film companies, is 
not regarded without trepidation. 
The fears of the film companies 
is best summed up by the comment 
of one film press rep who stated: 

(Continued on page 16) 


Pre-48 WB Films 



In 0’Seas Marts 

Entire Warner Bros, pre-1948 
library, on which negative rights 
were sold to Louis Chester, has 
been relicensed to WB for distri¬ 
bution abroad. Pix are being han¬ 
dled in the States by Eliot Hyman, 
with the accent on tv sales. 

Warners will continue to handle 
the features on a straight distri¬ 
bution fee in all of the foreign 
markets. The arrangement is for a 
period of five years. 

Retention by WB of the foreign 
distribution rights ’bolsters the po¬ 
sition abroad of the Motion Pic¬ 
ture Export Assn. In areas such 
as Denmark and Spain, where the 
U.S. companies have stopped im¬ 
ports, it’s now unlikely" that this 
product will be offered to offset 
developing shortages of Hollywood 
pix. Except for the quota coun¬ 
tries, most of the WB films have, 
of course, already played off. 
Nevertheless, the reissue value 
remains. 


Wouldn’t Dream of It! 

Washington, April 10. 

A protest to Barney Balaban 
that the Paramount film, “Rose 
Tattoo,” casts “an unsavory 
shadow over the purpose and 
worthwhileness of veteran or¬ 
ganizations conventions” was 
made last week. 

Timothy J. Murphy, Com¬ 
mander-in-chief of the Veter¬ 
ans of Foreign Wars, wro*:e to 
Balaban, following recipt of 
a number of complaints, he 
.said. 

“They object,” wrote Mur¬ 
phy, “to scenes in ‘Rose Tattoo’ 
depicting conventioning vet¬ 
erans in a manner as to infer 
that the principal activities, of 
veterans during a convention 
are carousing and seeking the 
company of ladies of the eve¬ 
ning. Activities of a state or 
national convention* of a large 
veterans’ organization are not 
devoted to rowdyism and a 
.search of illicit romance . . 


Metro Color 

Hollywood, April 10. 

After years of experimenta¬ 
tion, Metro will now process 
all its own negatives in'a new 
color technique which has been 
dubbed Me f ro Color. Previous¬ 
ly, all Metro tint was proc¬ 
essed by Eastman and Techni- 
' color. 

Studio has already com>^ 
pleted “Lust for Life” in the' 
new process and will use/it 
for “The Opposite Sex” and 
“Raintree County,” both now 
before the cameras, and “Tea 
and Sympathy.” “Raintree” 
will also be in 65m. 

Wilcox’s 3 For 
Metro, 1 For Col; 
He Sees New Era 

The “bank squeeze” in Britain 
is creating a most favorable climate 
for Anglo-American co-production, 
British producer Herbert Wilcox 
said last week in disclosing that 
he had signed a three-picture deal 
with Metro. 

Wilcox, who also has a single-pic¬ 
ture production deal on with Co¬ 
lumbia, said he would make the 
trio for Metro within a year’s’pe¬ 
riod, with M-G providing 100% fi¬ 
nancing. Including the Columbia 
film, an American investment of 
about $3,000,000 in British produc¬ 
tion is involved. 

Two Metro titles set so far are 
“Eastern Approaches” and "The 
Battle,” a remake of the French 
"La Bataille.” Third property has 
yet to be chosen. The Col picture 
will be “The Sitting Duck,” s’ory 
of the H.M.S. Amethyst, ambushed 
up the Yangtse River back in 1949. 
The Metro films will be distributed 
by Metro throughout the United 
Kingdom, but may be handled in 
the Western Hemisphere by Co¬ 
lumbia. 

This is Metro's second major 
British production deal in a month. 
Early in March, Arthur Loew 
signed Britain’s Ealing Studios 
(Sir Michael Balcon) to make a 
series of pix for Metro in Lon¬ 
don. However, these will be han¬ 
dled by Metro in the U. S. Wilcox 
said he hoped to make his pictures 
(Continued on page 7) 

‘FIRE’AND‘JOEY’FIRST, 
THEN HAYWORTH’S FREE 

Hollywood, April 10. 
Ri'a Hayworth will go on loan- 
out to Warwick productions for 
"Fire Down Below,” as the first of 
two pictures she’ll make for Colum¬ 
bia in settlement Of her contract 
hassle with the studio. Columbia 
will release her from her contract 
at the conclusion of the second 
film, “Pal Joey,” in which she’ll 
co-star with Frank Sinatra and 
Kim Novak. 

“Film,” in which she co-stars 
with Robert Mitchum, .goes on lo¬ 
cation in the West Indies in about 
.six weeks. 

Settlement of the dispute was 
reached after Federal Judge Ben 
Harrison dismissed the actress' 
$150,000 lawsuit against the studio. 


Loew, Staffers at Studio 

Arthur M. Loew, president of 
Loew’s Inc., planed to^the Coast 
over the weekend in advance of 
the board of directors meeting 
scheduled for tomorrow (Thursday) 
and Friday (13) at the studio. 

Veepee and treasurer Charles C. 
Moskowitz and pub-ad veepee 
Howard Dietz arrived on the Coast 
Monday (9) by train. Veepee Ben¬ 
jamin Melniker planed out Mon¬ 
day and sales v.p. Charles M. 
Reagan and secretary Irving 
Greenfield sky out.today (Wed.). 


+ Following a continuous rise in 
the level of business done by the 
American companies abroad, the 
peak now apparently has been 
reached and grosses in several of 
the key areas have begun to slip. 

The recession comes at a time 
when the foreign earnings of the 
distribs have hit an unprecedented 
high and overseas revenue of some 
of the companies has begun to 
actually exceed 50% of their en¬ 
tire revenue. 

The rising graph of foreign bill¬ 
ings, contrasted with static or only 
slowly improving, biz in the do¬ 
mestic market, is both a source of 
delight and concern to company 
execs. At the same time, many 
realize that it would be a lot 
healthier were the situation the 
other way ’round. 

Reginald Armour, Republic In¬ 
ternational’s exec v.p., recently ob¬ 
served it was important for the 
domestic and foreign earning 
graphs to keep pace with ‘one an¬ 
other. “It’s, not good for use to be 
so dependent on the fluctuating 
foreign market and its exhibitors,” 
he noted. Republic, he said, ex¬ 
pects between 50% and 60% of 
its income-to come from abroad in 
1956. 

According to,present indications, 
the companies’ overall foreign 
earnings in 1956 will barely hold 
their own compared to 1955 when 
they hit record levels. Foreign take 
last year is estimated to have hit in 

(Continued on page 50) 

‘Holiday’s’fl-Wk. 
Broadway Tally 
of $2,50(1,000 

“Cinerama Holiday,” the Louis 
de Rochemont Cinerama produc¬ 
tion which was replaced last night 
(Tues.) by Lowell Thomas’ “Seven 
Wonders of the World” at the 
Warner Theatre, N.Y., racked up 
a gross of $2,500,000 during its 
61-week Broadway run. The film, 
second production in the Cinerama 
nrocess, opened in Gotham on Feb. 

8, 1955, and officially called it 
quits on Sunday (8). 

“Holiday,” still playing in 14 
! other Cinerama-equipped domestic 
houses, has so far chalked up a 
total gross of $15,000,000, a take 
that will likely be expanded as the 
runs are completed and as the pro¬ 
duction is shifted to newly-opened 
situations. 

“This Is Cinerama,” first picture 
in the three-strip process, is begin¬ 
ning to produce new revenue as a 
result of its placement in new sit¬ 
uations by Stanley Warner, holders 
of the exhibition and production 
rights to the medium. With Atlanta 
launched on April 2, the theatre 
chain, employing newly-developed 
portable equipment, is installing 
“This Is Cinerama” in’ smaller 
population centres, following with 
Oklahoma City on May' 21 and 
Kansas City in June. 

Prior to the revival of “This Is 
Cinerama,” the medium’s initial 
entry grossed $25,000,000 in 15 do¬ 
mestic theatres. It is also bringing 
in hefty returns in sik foreign 
spots. It ran on Broadway for 125 
weeks for a total gross of $4,500,- 
000. It opened at the Broadway 
Theatre on Sept. 30, 1952, shifted 
to the Warner in May, 1953, and 
concluded its run on Feb. 6, 1955, 
making way for “Cinerama Holi¬ 
day.” 

“Seven Wonders” was launched 
last night (Tues.) with a glamor 
premiere attended by .representa¬ 
tives of many of the 42 countries 
that were visited during the year¬ 
long Cinerama photographic expe¬ 
dition around the world. The offi¬ 
cial unvailing was preceded by an 0 
afternoon and evening press show¬ 
ing on Monday (9). 

Following the Broadway bow, 
“Seven Wonders” will be presented 
in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, Dallas, 
and St. Louis. 





6 


FILM REVIEWS 


MSSiETr 


Wednesday, April 11; 1956 


7 Wonders of the World 

(CINERAMA—TECHNICOLOR) 

No. 3 Cinerama production 
again proves that this process 
is still the Biff Top of the sun¬ 
dry biff-screen processes. 


Stanley Warner-Cinerama Corp. presen¬ 
tation of Lowell Thomas production, 
based on an Idea by Thomas. Directed 
by Ted Tetzlaff, Andrew Marton, Tay 
Garnett, Paul Mantz, Walter Thompson, 
Scenario and narration contributions by 
Prosper Buranelli and William Lipscomb; 
camera (Technicolor), Harry Squire, 
Gayne Rescher; music, Emil Newman, 
David Raksin, Jferome Moross; orchestra 
conducted by Newman; Japanese dance, 
Tetsuze Shirai; editors, Harvey Manger A 
Jack Murray; music editors, Lovcl S. 
Ellis & Richard C. Harris; sound, Monty 
Pearce, Richard J. Fietschmann Jr., 
Richard Vorisek, Fred Bosch, Avery 
Lockner; production staff, Edward R. 
Evans, Andre Smagghe, Henry Hartman, 
William Terry, Arthur LaSchelle, Michael 
Mahony, C. Thomas Conroy, Ralph M. 
Leo, James R. Morrison; advance ar¬ 
rangements, Lowell Thomas Jr„ Maynard 
Miller, Robert W. Heussler, Eileen Sal- 
ama; chorus, Apollo Club of Minneapolis; 
premiered April 10, 1958, Warner Thea¬ 
tre, N.Y.; $3.50 top. Running time, 120 
MINS. 


Until Cinerama linked to a 
"plot” it would appear as if these 
travelogs will be more than suffi¬ 
cient unto the boxoffice purpose. 
Lowell Thomas’ "7 Wonders of the 
World” will be as socko at the tills 
as his pioneer "This Is Cinerama” 
(1952) and Louis de Rochemont’s 
"Cinerama Holiday” three years 
thereafter. All are in the same 
globetrotting idiom, with the won¬ 
ders of the world brought almost 
literally into the auditor’s lap, and 
this, like its two predecessors, bids 
fair to enjoy the same boxoffice 
borianzg. 

As with Thomas’ initial entry, 
the action opens in his Pawling 
(N.Y.) study and thereafter the 
viewer is taken by air, motor and 
rail into exotic farflung corners. 
It beats the U.S. Navy slogan be¬ 
cause you can "join CineraTha and 
see the world” with less travail. 

While the titular "7 Wonders of 
the World” might be pointed to 
captiously as a misnomer, it is a 
resourceful kickoff for a Techni¬ 
colorful airlift from Manhattan 
through 32 countries in 120 min¬ 
utes. The Sphinx and the Pyra¬ 
mids are pointed to as the sole 
remainders of the seven ancient 
wonders and the unfolding is a 
modern odyssey that starts in 
South America and ends back at 
the New York skyline. 

A multiple directorial and cam¬ 
era crew blanketed the world. 
Emerging from the aerial hedge¬ 
hop of local geographical closeups 
is a religioso pageantry which in¬ 
cludes an exposition of Israel’s 
renaissance; the final' ceremonies 
of the Marian Year, culminating in 
the Papal blessing and a first-time 
lighting of Saint Peter’s for mo¬ 
tion pictures; and a curtsy to the 
Protestant church, back in the 
U.S M with a typical. American 
countryside scene. Buddhist priests 
and Benares (India) temple danc¬ 
ers blend with scenes of African 
tribal dances and a glorified Jap¬ 
anese geisha line that looks more 
Leonidoff than authentic Fujiyama. 

. As the magic of the Cinerama 
glamor lenses bring strange re¬ 
gional, secular and tribal customs 
into focus there is also an aware¬ 
ness of the one - worldedness. 
Arabian-American Oil Co. rela¬ 
tions in Saudi-Arabia, and the 
Israeli-Arab-Egyptian scenes can¬ 
not be wholly divorced in the pres¬ 
ent-day viewer’s mind’s eye from 
the political and economic realities 
of the times. However, accepted on 
a pure tourist perspective all 
these, and the other scenes in this 
32-country celluloid tour, are com¬ 
pelling for mass audiences. 

Above all, the Cinerama’s audi¬ 
ence - participation values place 
this process in the roadshow orbit 
that it is. It makes the other wide- 
screens and scopes road companies 
alongside this, the Big Top of the 
giant-screen processes. 

As to be expected there are 
peaks and valleys. There are in¬ 
adequacies on some coverage; 
overextension on possibly the re¬ 
ligioso phases. Too much accent on 
waterfalls and too short on, for 
example, the famed Rio de Janeiro 
mardi gras. 

, There are times when the music 
is compelling and others when the 
score is almost intrusive and as¬ 
sertive. The specially credited Jap 
dance "created by Tetsuzo Shirai” 
is more Rockette than pure Naga¬ 
saki. 

•The "plot,” per so, is a gimmick 
for a many splendored cinema- 
topographic exposition. There are 
times, too, when Thomas is more 
than a bit in awe of Nature; had 
he permitted the “wonders” to 
speak for themselves they would 
be even more articulate than his 
pear-shaped rhetorical questions. 
The photography is socko and 
,a some of it borders on sheer cam¬ 
era portraiture. On the other hand, 
the theatrical intrusion above 
cited, and a reprise of the cobra 
vs. • the snake fight to the death, 
the African' .tribal dancers ("the 
Nijinsky of Watutsi tribe’*)-is more 


show business than Nature’s do¬ 
ings. Which is not to be deprecated; 
showmanship is the essence of this 
technological globetrot. 

, Thomas’ "7 Wonders of the 
World” is at its best when the old 
and the modern are shown in sharp 
juxtaposition. When it is pure 
Burton Holmes or James A. Fitz¬ 
patrick it is conventional travelog; 
but when it contrasts ancient 
camel caravans in foreground to 
modern oildrilling machinery, air- 
conditioned conveniences under 
American technique in the Arabian 
oil territory, Cub Scouts playing 
baseball on the desert sands, and 
the like, it brings the world tour 
into sharper relief. Pan shots from 
the Pan-American Cinerama Clip¬ 
per (which gets a generous enough 
cuffo commercial throughout the 
footage) of ancient Grecian and 
Roman ruins are now pretty stock 
stuff. But the Turkish belt, look¬ 
ing across the Bosporus into Rus¬ 
sia and Asia Minor, gets short 
shrift. Obviously, two hours can’t 
be everything to every facet but 
the feeling lingers it could have 
been cut elsewhere and better bal¬ 
ance maintained. 

The "chase” of a palpably staged 
Giovanni, Maria and their bam¬ 
bino, racing in their broken-down 
motorcycle to the Vatican cere¬ 
monies, and later on to the Castel 
Gandolfo—the summer palace— 
getting there just in time, is a bit 
on the Mack Sennett side. 

The native American wonders— 
Grand Canyon, Niagara Falls, etc. 
—will of'course remind of the No. 
2 Cinerama spec, just as Tay Gar¬ 
nett’s direction of that runaway 
train (in reverse-gear) on a "nar¬ 
row-gauge” ‘ railway in India will 
remind of the first Fred Waller- 
Hazzard Reeves rollercoaster scene 
which, literally, gave some viewers 
mal-de-Cinerama. 

On the subject of sound, while 
the cinematic enveloping is as 
effective as with the predecessor 
entries, the directional sound is 
not as vivid or dramatic in its 
usage in this instance. 

In sum total, the third entry is 
a solid boxoffice commodity which 
fulfills its fundamental production 
purpose. Paul Mantz did the Bible 
country coverage and Ted Tetzlaff 
captured the grandeur of the 
Marian Year celebration in Rome. 
Andrew Marton did the African 
tribal dances; Garnett’s Indian 
runaway railroad shots have been 
above - mentioned; and Walter 
Thompson .covered the Orient. 
Harry Squire, vet lenser who 
helped the late Fred Waller in the 


development of the Cinerama 
process, and who was director of 
photography of the first two pro¬ 
ductions, repeated with able as¬ 
sistance from Gayne Rescher. All 
the other credits are ultra, and not 
the least must have been the 
pioneer missionary work done by 
those in. charge of the "advance 
arrangements.” Stanley Warner 
has another boxoffice wonder in 
"7 Wonders of the World.” 

Abel.' 


The Swan 

(C’SCOPE—COLOR) 


Graustarkian romantic comedy 
is surefire, aided by lead Grace 
Kelly’s own royal romance. 


!* Hollywood, April 10. 

Metro release of Dore Schary produc¬ 
tion. Stars Grace Kelly, Alec Guinness, 
Louis Jourdan; features Agnes Moore- 
head, Brian Ahcrne, Jessie Royce Landis, 
Leo G. Carroll, Estelle Winwood, Van 
Dyke Parks, Robert Coote. Directed by 
Charles Vidor. Screenplay, John Dlghton; 
from the Ferenc Molnar play; camera 
(Eastman Color), Joseph Ruttenberg, 
Robert Surtees; editor, John Dunning; 
music, Bronislau Kaper. Previewed April 
4, '56. Running time, 107 MINS. 

Princess Alexandra . Grace Kelly 

Prince Albert .. Alec Guinness 

Dr. Nicholas Agr.Louis Jourdan 

Queen Maria Dominika.. Agnes Moorehead 
Princess Beatrix... .Jessie Royce Landis 

Father Hyacinth . Brian Aherne 

Caesar . Leo G. Carroll 

Symphprosa . Estelle Winwood 

George . Van Dyke Parks 

Arsene . Christopher Cook 

Capt. Wunderlich . Robert Coote 

Countess Sibenstoyn. Doris Lloyd 

Beatrix's Maid . Edith Barrett 


Delightful make-believe of Fer¬ 
enc Molnar’s venerable "The 
Swan” makes for a welcome change 
of pace from the strong dramatics 
featured in so many current and 
upcoming pictures. There’s a nat¬ 
ural link to international interest 
in the coming royal wedding of its 
femme star, Grace Kelly. The en¬ 
tertainment worth indicates its 
chances would be good in any 
case. 

Beautifully bedecked in Cinema- 
Scope and Eastman Color, the 
Graustarkian fable about a prin¬ 
cess who falls in love is a genteel 
picture about genteel people in a 
never-never world of crowns, titles 
and luxury living as produced by 
Dore Schary. It’s plushy, without 
necessarily being ostentatious, as 
befitting the characters with which 
it deals, and benefits from the 
tremendously effective direction 
by Charles Vidor from an equally 
good script by 'John Dighton. 
There’s subtle humor and broad 
humor, and several scenes that 
reach right into.the heart, includ¬ 


ing one that must be figured as 
belonging to the ranks of the best 
love scenes ever filmed. 

Costarring with Miss Kelly .are 
Alec Guinness, whose popularity 
in the American market is growing 
and who adds the correct, modified 
comedy touch to his role of the 
crown prince who, regardless of 
what audiences might want, must 
end up with the princess, and 
Louis Jourdan, who adds a feeling 
romantic flavor that is just right 
to his character of the commondl-- 
tutor who dares to love the prin¬ 
cess. Miss Kelly shines right along 
with her male stars as the princess 
who gains by knowing love before 
she must don the inevitable crown. 

.That standout romantic sequence 
of which - Vidor’s directorial in¬ 
sight and knowing camera work 
make a memorable screen love 
scene occurs during a ball welcom¬ 
ing the crown prince.’ The tutor, 
invited to make the prince believe 
he has a rival, and Miss Kelly, the 
as yet unawakened girl, fall in 
love right before your eyes as they 
dance to "The Swan Waltz,” espe¬ 
cially written by Bronislau Kaper, 
who also contributes a notable 
score otherwise. In contrast to the 
tenderness of this sequence are 
any number of humorous touches. 
One is a real howler when the 
princess, finishing a deep curtsey 
to thfe crown prince, sharply raps 
his chin with the top of her head. 

Abetting the star trio with sock 
support in featured roles are 
Jessie Royce Landis 1 * Miss Kelly’s 
mother who^rets and stews to get 
the crown prince to make her 
daughter the next queen; Brian 
Aherne, as the monk. Father Hy¬ 
acinth, who rates a belly laugh 
with his aside to a startled butler 
as he dashes down a corridor with 
his bloomers showing: "Now you 
know”; Estelle Winwood, the pixil¬ 
ated, not-bright old maid sister of 
Miss Landis; Agnes Moorehead, 
the strident queen mother; Leo G. 
Carroll, the proper butler; Robert 
Coote, the crown prince’s' aide; 
Van Dyke Parks and Christopher, 
as Miss Kelly’s younger brothers. 

The Biltfiiore estate in Asheville, 
N. C., does an able job of standing 
in. for the 1910, Huq^rian castle 
in which Miss Kelly i^iupposed to 
live. Standing out here, and other¬ 
wise, is the lensing by Joseph Rut- 
fenberg and Robert Surtees, the 
art direction by Cedric Gibbons 
and Randall Duell, set decorations 
by Edwin B. Willis and Henry 
Grace, Helen , Rose’s costumes, 
editing by John Dunning and other 
technical contributions. Brog. 


Capsule Foreign Film Reviews 


La Lumlara D'En Face (The Light 
Across the Way) (FRENCH). Fernand 
Rivers release of Fernand Rivers-EGC- 
Jacques Gauthier production. Stars Ray¬ 
mond Pellegrin, Brigitte Bardot; features 
Roger P.igaut, Jean Dehucourt. Claude 
Romain. Guy Plerraud. Directed by 
Georges Lacombe. Screenplay, Jean 
Claude Aurel, adapted by Lourn Chavance, 
Rene Masson, Rene Lefevre; camera, 
Louis Page; editor, Raymond Leboursler. 
At Elysees, Paris. Running time, llfr 
MINS. 


Film concerns a truckdriver who 
becomes neurotic after an accident. 
He is counselled not to marry, for 
intimate relations would destroy 
his balance. However his luscious 
young fiancee insists. They buy a 
cafe but a virile mechanic arrives 
and sets off the drama. The truck- 
driver goes.mad and tries to kill 
his wife and the would-be lover 
before being killed himself by a 
truck. 

Though soberly recounted, this 
rarely gets to the core of the sub¬ 
ject. Except for Raymond Pelle¬ 
grin as the crazed driver, it is 
ordinarily acted. It goes in for 
some erotic* byplay. Otherwise, it 
does not have the substance for 
art houses. Brigitte Bardot looks 
well but her acting does not equal 
her physical attributes. Direction, 
lensing and editing shape as only 
adequate with exterior settings 
lending some good production and 
documentary flavor. Mosk. 


Le Couteam Sous La Gorge (The Knife 
to the Throat) (FRENCH); CINEPANO- 
RAM 1C). Filmmonde release of EGC-Film 
Artisque production. Stars Jean Servals) 
Jean Chevrier, Madeleine Robinson; fea¬ 
tures Michele Cardous, Mlcheline Gary, 
Yves Deniaud. Directed by Jacques 
Severac. Screenplay, Andre Tabet, Seve- 
rac; camera (Eastmancolor), Jean Isnard; 
editor, Monique Lacomb. At Trlomphe, 
Paris. Running time, 90 MINS. 


Use of French anamorphoscopic 
process akin to C’Scope, Cinepano- 
ramic limits this for U.S. chances 
because its familiar and only 
fairly made gangster story is of 
little interest for arties. For gen¬ 
eral runs, it lacks names. 

Concerning a doctor whose kid¬ 
napped son is rescued by a. gang¬ 
ster whose life he had once saved, 
it is too obvious to make for U.S. 
interest except for possible sec¬ 
ondary dualer spots. 

Cinepanoramic is only just 
passable, with some soft focus and 
lack. q£, , multiple, stereophonic 


s,ound detracting. Color is uneven 
as is the acting except for the 
principals.. Jean Servais is ade¬ 
quate as the worried doctor with 
Jean Chevrier and Madeleine Rob¬ 
inson giving good support. Techni¬ 
cal aspects are fair and big screen 
shows up skimping in set and gen¬ 
eral production dress. Mosk. 

Trelze a Table (Thirteen At the Table) 
(FRENCH). Pathe release .of Contact- 
SAFIA-Pathe production. Stars Mlcheline 
Presle, Fernand Gravey; features Mischa 
Auer, Jean Brochard, Germaine Montrero. 
Directed by Andre Hunnebelle. Screen¬ 
play by Jean- Halain from play by Marc 
Gilbert Sauvajon; camera, Paul Coteret; 
editor, James Cuenet. At Balzac, Paris. 
Running time, 90 MINS. 


Taken from a hit play of two 
season’s ago, this maintains the 
legit feel in unfoldment. It is a 
one joke affair about a supersti¬ 
tious woman who tries to avoid 
having 13 at her table on Christ¬ 
mas Eve. People come and go and 
the number 13 keeps up while 
little intrigues are unwound, such 
as the return of an early love of 
her husband, a fiery South Ameri¬ 
can who claims he was a.,hero 
there and wants to take him back. 

Though a few laughs are 
whipped up via some clever slap¬ 
stick scenes, this drags in appeal 
and remains too talky for most 
U.S. spots. 

It has the names of Micheline 
Presle and Fernand Gravey for 
some dualer spots; otherwise it is 
severely limited. Miss Presle and 
Gravey play easily and are sur¬ 
rounded by a competent cast. But 
director Andre Hunnebelle has 
rarely escaped a stagy feeling. 
Credits are okay. . Mosk. 


, Dlclottennl (Eighteen Year-Olds) 
(ITALIAN; COLOR). Variety release of a 
Carlo Pontl production. Stars Marisa 
Allasio, Ave Ninchi; features Helen Por- 
teUo, Antonio De Teffe, Virgllio Rierito. 
Directed by Mario Mattoll. Screenplay, 
Mattoli, Musso, DeConoinl, Aldo De Bene- 
detti, from a play by Aldo DcBenedetti; 
camera (Eastmancolor - Superfilmscope), 
Marco Scarpelli; music, Armando Trova- 
joli. At Bernini, Rome, Running time, 100 
MINS. * 


Remake of successful pic of the 
’40s, with color and widescreen 
added, this should get plenty of 
dates, especially in .the subse- 
quents. Youthful cast makes up for 
lack of names. Might shape into 
fair export fare, but color and 


widescreen expenses might handi¬ 
cap it. 

Story is one of those girls’ fin¬ 
ishing-school yarns in which mis¬ 
understandings, great secrets and 
threatened expulsions abound. It 
is also cast in familiar fashion^- 
handsome young teacher, nasty 
directress, dynamic girl ringleader, 
friendly lab assistant, et<5. 

Format is a cliche in itself, but 
pic, which deals with threatened 
expulsion of gal whose father has 
a criminal background, still makes 
pleasant viewing. Gals are plenti¬ 
ful and * comely, and sets and 
scenery are lush and colorful. 

Marisa Allasio handles her trou¬ 
blemaker role with ease, while 
others contribute pleasant per¬ 
formances. Eastmancolor lensing is 
fine, though Superfilmscope proc¬ 
ess is often unclear and fuzzy over 
wide areas of the screen. Scripting 
is standard and musical score ap¬ 
propriate. / Hawk. 


Cabo de Homos (Cape Horn) (MEXI¬ 
CAN). Mier & Brooks and Atenca Films 
production. Stars Jorge Mistral. Silvia 
Pinal; features lyiyriam Thorud, Eugenio 
Retes, Jose Gulxe, Gerardo Grez, Emilio 
Martinez, Agustin Orrequia, Carlo's Mor- 
ris. Directed by Tito Davison. Camera, 
Emilio Fonscot and Clemente Manzano; 
based oil a novel by Frahcisco Coloane. 
At Cine Olimpia, Mexico City. Running 
time, 92 MINS. 


Scenery, atmosphere, whale gun¬ 
ning and lensing impart an inter¬ 
est to this which is different from 
that of many newsreels and docu¬ 
mentaries. Story is so confused 
that after, the finale, one expects 
an announcement of prizes being 
bestowed for solutions to the yarn 
Actual local scenes (first Mexican 
pic to be made at the south end of 
the Americas) saw three producers 
(Mier & Brooks, Mexican; Atenea, 
Spanish, 'and Tito Davison, Chil¬ 
ean) turning this out, aided by the 
Chilean goyernment and navy. 

Jorge Mistral, Spanish actor, 
plays skipper of a whaler who falls 
for a sad femme in a pub and 
spends the night with her. Her 
interest is sparked by-his indiffer¬ 
ence to her, even when she strips 
to black- underwear. Ultimately, 
both go out whale hunting. Excel¬ 
lent shots of modern harpooning 
but the inexorable bleakness and 
coldness of the; man’s life is not 
frightened much by the plot or the 
sad endingu'. •!.'•< Qoug.h 


Crime lit the Streets 


Reginald Roee’a television 
script adapted into a dreary 
downbeat tale of squalor and 
delinquency. 


Hollywood, April 9 

Allied Artists release of Vincent 'm 
F ennclly (Lindbrook) production. Stars 
James Whitmore, John Cassavetes, Sal 
Mineo, Mark Rydell; features Denise 
Alexander, Virginia Gregg, WU1 Kuluva. 
Peter Votrlan, Malcolm Atterbury Di¬ 
rected by Donald Siegel. Story and 
screenplay, Reginald Rose; camera, Sam 
Leavitt; editor, Richard C. Meyer;, music. 
Franz Waxman. Previewed April 2, *56 
Running time, 91 MINS. * 

Ben Wagner.James "Whitmore 

Frankie Dane . John Cassavetes 

.,■ Sal Mineo 

Lou Macklin ...Mark RydeU 

Maria Gioia . Denise Alexander 

Mrs. Dane .. Virginia Gregg 

Mr Gioia ... Will Kuluva 

Richie Dane ... Peter Votrian 

Mr. McAUister . Malcolm Atterbury 

Blockbuster . Dan Terranova 

Fighter .. Peter Miller 

Glasses. Steve Rowland 

Benny . Ray Strioklyn 

Lenny.. . James Ogg 

Phil . Robert Alexander 

Herky . Duke MltcheU 

Redtop . Richard Curtis 

Chuck . Doyle Baker 


"Crime In the Streets,” in its 
jump from a video origin to the 
theatrical screen, can be figured'to 
scare up some ballyhoo values for 
Allied Artists. Otherwise, it’s pro¬ 
gram filler, and mighty dreary one 
at that. 

The Vincent M. Fennelly produc¬ 
tion sets out to be a gutsy melo¬ 
drama about slum area delinquents 
and, within the framework of 
Reginald Rose’s highly contrived 
story, succeeds in making its shock 
points under Donald Siegel’s pat 
directorial handling. Plot poses 
the pitch that the young bums 
shown here need love and under¬ 
standing to offset their squalid sur¬ 
roundings. HQwever, as character¬ 
ized by story and acting, it’s likely 
they would be just as unpleasant 
and unwholesome in any setting be¬ 
cause of the. psychotic motivations. 

John Cassavetes is the bitter, un¬ 
lovable young tough who leads the 
I street rat pack. It is a repeat for 
him, having done the same char¬ 
acter on the Elgin Playhouse tele¬ 
cast of the story. When an adult, 
Malcolm Atterbury, slaps the young 
bum across the mouth, for getting 
too uppity, the juve hood plots 
murder. Only two of the gang, 
Sal Mineo and Mark Rydell (lat¬ 
ter repeating from tv), go along 
with the scheme to kill Atterbury. 
Climax finds Atterbury, trapped in 
an alley, saved at the last minute 
when Peter Votrian, Cassavetes’ 
younger brother, dashes in. Faced 
with the switchblade, himself, lit¬ 
tle Votrian cries: "I’m your 
brother. I love you,” and Cassa¬ 
vetes, now knowing someone cares, 
loses his taste for killing. - 

James Whitmore heads the cast 
as a settlement worker who does 
little' more than observe and offer 
unheeded counsel to the juvies. In 
the gang are Dan Terranova, Peter 
Miller, Steve Rowland, Ray Strick- 
lyn, Robert Alexander, Duke 
Mitchell and Doyle Baker. They, 
along with Denise Alexander, Vir¬ 
ginia Gregg, Will Kuluva (repeat¬ 
ing his tv role), and others are all 
cast to type and, in that category, 
perform'well. 

Sam Leavitt’s lowkey lensing, 
Franz Waxman’s brassy score, edit¬ 
ing and other credits are keyed to 
the meller subject. Brog. 


ffrucht Ohne Lichc 

(Fruit Without Love) 
(GERMAN) 

Berlin, March 27. 

Columbia release of CCC .(Arthur 
Brauner) production. Stars Gertrud 
Kueckelmann, Claus Holm and Bernhard 
Wicki. Directed by Ulrich Erfurth. 
Screenplay, Heinrich Oberlaender; cam¬ 
era, Hans Schneeberger; music, Willi 
Mattes. At Kiki, Berlin. Running time, 
106 MINS. 


Barbara • Kling..... Gertrud Kueckelmann 

Georg Kling . Claus Holm 

Professor Schilllnger. . .Paul Dahlke 

Walter Kolb .:. Bernhard Wicki 

Barbara's Mother.. .Erika von Thellmann 


This German Columbia release 
has stirred up considerable con¬ 
troversy here. Domestic church 
circles, joined by a number of 
Church-influenced West German 
dailies, have started a boycott 
against the film, claiming its sub¬ 
ject (artificial impregnation) is 
taboo for filmization. 

Film’s commercial prospects ap¬ 
pear doubtful in some German 
areas; There’s even the chance 
that "Fruit Without Love,” may 
emerge as another German "Sin¬ 
ner” which some years back be-, 
came a terrific moneymaker here. 

However, "Fruit” is considerably 
below th;e artistic standard of "The 
Sinner” whose biggest exploitation 
angle, incidentally, was a nudie 
(Hildegard Neff) scene. Story cen¬ 
ters around a couple (Gertrud 
Kueckelmann and Claus Holm) 
whose five-year old-marriage is ex¬ 
tremely happy yet psychologically 
handicapped by^ the wife’s yearn¬ 
ing for children and the man’s im- 
potency. In order to save this mar¬ 
riage, a doctor-friend persuades 
, the couple to accept artificial ini- 
I preghation. 'The* (wife’s ’ curiosity 



































Wednesday, April 11, 1956 


Pfi&IEfY 


FILM REVIEWS 


• 7 


i^flds her to find the real father of 
her forthcoming child. This results 
n a conventional triangle drama 
as the man falls for her and she 
almost for him. 

The big question is. of course, 
whether such a theme should be 
treated in a film at all. Such a 
fhprrie requires special tact, taste 
and artistic delicacy. “Fruit With¬ 
out Love'* lacks all these. 

Ulrich Erfurth’s direction is in¬ 
adequate even in view of the ma¬ 
terial furnished him 'via the in¬ 
adequate script. His handling of 
the players is often far from being 
adroit. Comely Getrud Kueckel- 
mann is hardly anything more than 
sweet in this one and Claus Holm 
(her husband) is barely sympa¬ 
thetic. Paul Dahlke enacts the im¬ 
portant role of the medico. He 
portrays his part with competence, 
but so routine at times that it 
lacks much conviction. The most 
polished performance is turned in 
by Erika von Thellmann as Miss 
Kueckelmann’s mother. 

Hans Schneebefger’s lensing de¬ 
serves good classification. 

Although artistically quite a dis¬ 
appointment, film may attract—via 
its “courageous" subject some cu¬ 
rious patrons outside Germany, 
provided that foreign censorship 
regulations are not too tough. It's 
easily possible that Columbia’s 
“Fruit Without Love” will cash in 
on this controversial topic. 

Hans. 


A Day of Fury 

(COLOR) 


Better characterization than is 
typical of westerns. Offbeat 
action entry. 


Hollywood, April 6. 

Universal release of Robert Arthur pro¬ 
duction. Stars Dale Robertson, Mara Cor- 
day, Jock Mahoney; features Carl Benton 
Reid, Jan Merlin, John Dehner, Dee Car¬ 
roll, Sheila Bromley, James Bell. Directed 
by Harmon Jones. Screenplay, James 
Edmiston, Oscar Brodney; story by Ed- 
miston; camera (Technicolor).* EUis W. 
Carter; editor, Sherman Todd; • music 
supervision, Joseph Gershenson. Pre¬ 
viewed AprU 4, J 56. Running time, 78 
MINS. 


Jagade . Dale Robertson 

Sharman Fulton . Mara Corday 

Marshal Allan Burnett.. . .Jock Mahoney 
Judge John ,T. McLean. .Carl Benton Reid 

Billy Brand . Jan Merlin 

Preacher Jason . John Dehner 

Miss Timmons .*. Dee Carroll 

Marie . Sheila Bromley 

Doc Logan . James Bell 

Claire . Dani Crayne 

Vanryzin . Howard Wendell 

Duggen . Charles Cane 

Burson .. Phil Chambers 

Beemans ...Sydney Mason 

Mrs. McLean .Helen Kleeb 


“A Day of Fury" is the story 
of havoc wrought by an unscrupu¬ 
lous gunman on a western town 
which has nearly become respec¬ 
table. Its attempt at characteriza¬ 
tion comes off fairly well with 
Dale Robertson as the heavy, 
decidedly offbeat casting, and a 
sometimes realistic yarn sans usual 
heroics but seasoned with action 
should serve as okay fare in the 
regulation outdoor market. 


Entire events in this Robert 
Arthur Technicolor production 
untold within a single Sunday. 
Robertson is pictured as a tough 
non-conformist who is holding out 
against the passing of the Old 
West, and opposed to him is Jock 
Mahoney, the marshal whose life 
he saves from an outlaw in opening 
sequence. Harmon Jones’ rugged 
direction frequently overcomes 
lagging moments in the James 
Edmiston-Oscar Brodney screen¬ 
play, and in for distaff interest is 
Mara Corday, a reformed dancehall 
femme whose marriage to the 
marshal is interrupted by the ap¬ 
pearance of Robertson,: whom she 
has known sometime in the past. 

Gunman’s arrival cues off a 
return to the town’s old ways when 
he shoots the lock off the saloon 
uoor, opens it up for Sunday busi¬ 
ness and orders the return of the 
dancehall girls, who moved across 
tiie county line to a neighboring 
community when town tried to 
turn peaceful,- Mahoney gets in 
bad when his refusal to arrest 
Robertson for killing a man in self- 
defence, and ensuing patience with 
gunman’s tactics in payment to 
him, is construed -as being allied 
with him. In final showdown, after 
marshal repays his debt to Robert¬ 
son by saving him from Miss 
Corday’s bullet, Mahoney kills off 
l he gunman. , 

Robertson', handles his role 
slickly, endowing it with quiet 
menace, and Mahoney competently 
essays part of the lawman who 
intends saving the town his way. 
Miss Corday lends good color, too, 
^bn Dehner as a preacher, Jan 
Merlin a ratty would-be desperado, 
Carl Benton Reid the judge and 
J>neila Bromley dancehall proprie- 
i-i’ess, all contribute satisfactory 
performances. 

Ellis W. Carter's color photo¬ 
graphy leads off technical credits, 
ar t direction by Alexander 
CfOlitzen and Robert Boyle fits the 
period. Joseph Gershenson’s music 
supervision is- suitable. Whit . 


Good-Bye, My Lady 

(SONG) 


Warm, human story of a boy 
and his dog; strong for family 
trade. 


Hollywood, April 3. 

Warner Bros, of a Batjac production. 
Stars Walter Brennan, Phil Harris. Bran¬ 
don de Wilde; features Sidney Poitier, 
William Hopper, Louise Beavers. Directed 
by William A. Wellman. Screenplay, Sid 
Fleischman; from the novel by James 
Street; camera, William. H. Clothier; edi¬ 
tor, Fred MacDowell; song, Don Powell, 
Moris Erby; score. Laurindo Almeida, 
George Field. Previewed March 16, '56. 
Running time, 94 MINS. 

Uncle Jesse . Walter Brenhan 

Cash . Phil Harris 

Skeeter . Brandon de Wilde 

Gates . Sidney Poitier 

Grover ... .. William Hopper 

Bonnie Dew .Louise Beavers 


This gentle tale of a boy and 
his dog is properly. samtimental 
and thoroughly heart-warming. 
Besides’ posing a good moral les¬ 
son, it is "film entertainment that 
can be enjoyed by all but is par¬ 
ticularly recommendable for fam¬ 
ily audiences. The regular dual 
situation should find it a welcome 
addition to a bill and, additionally, 
some spots may be-able to make 
more of it than just a companion 
feature because of its unpreten¬ 
tious quality. 

The screenplay by Sid Fleisch¬ 
man from James Street’s novel 
rates understanding direction by 
William A. Wellman, who endows 
the Batjac production for Warner 
Bros, release with an honesty of 
purpose that shows up strongly on 
the screen. The script and direc¬ 
tion do not clutter the story with 
unnecessary detail 'or distractions, 
telling it with a compelling, mov¬ 
ing simplicity. The cast answers 
in kind with fine performances, so 
that no false notes are struck at 
any time. 

Plot finds Walter Brennan, like¬ 
able old southerner, and his young 
nephew, Brandon de Wilde, shar¬ 
ing a weather-beaten cabin on the 
edge of a swamp. Together they 
enjoy a somewhat shiftless, easy 
life, but despite the old man’s il¬ 
literacy, he is teaching the youth 
the. proper moral .values that will 
make him grow into an ^upright, 
honest citizen. The dog, a barkless 
Basenji found in *the swamp and 
trained by the boy as his very own, 
becomes the symbol for the youth’s 
first big decision in life when the 
real owners of th« valuable animal 
come for it. How the kid faces up 
to this puts the moral capper on 
a story that will have audiences 
going with it all the way. 

The location lensing in Georgia, 
well-done by William H. Clothier, 
provides a feeling of -authenticity 
to back Wellman’s story-telling 
and adds an extra something to the 
scenes of gentle, backwoods humor, 
the shots of the dog working the 
birds in the fields and being 
trained by the boy, and the touch¬ 
ing sequences in which the boy, 
the man and the dog share life and 
growing up. 

Brennan is tremendous as the 
toothless uncle who yearns for a 
set of plates from Sears-Roebuck. 
Young de Wilde is equally splendid 
as the boy and Phil Harris stands 
out as the village storekeeper 
whose friendship and counsel is of 
aid. Sidney Poitier and Louise 
Beavers score as Negro friends and 
William Hopper is excellent as the 
man with the difficult task of re¬ 
trieving the dog. Latter, inciden¬ 
tally, is a natural actor’. 

' “When Your Boy Becomes a 
Man," song by Don Powell and 
Moris Erby, is an effective part of 
story mood, as is the topnotch 
background music composed and 
played by Laurindo Almeida (gui¬ 
tar) and George Field (harmonica). 
Editing and other technical aids 
are firstrate. Brog. 


Awara 

(The Vagabond) 
(INDIAN) 


Mild States-side b.o. potential 
in art houses for this import 
from India. 


Hoffberg Productions release of R. K. 
Filirts-Bombay production. Features Nar- 
gls, Raj Kapoor. Directed by Kapoor. 
Based on novel by K. A. Abbas; chore¬ 
ography, Mme. Simkie; music, Shankar & 
Jaikishan. At Cameo Theatre. N.Y., April 
7, *56. Running time, 82 MINS. 


Reeta . Nargis 

Raj . Raj Kapoor 

Judge Raghunath . H. R. Kapoor 

Raj's Mother . Leela 

Criminal'Court Judge. Prithvira 

Jagga ... A. K. Kapoor 

Royal Indian Ballet and Opera 


(In Hindustani; English Titles) 
“Awara," an import from India, 
appears to be one of that coun¬ 
try’s more ambitious films. For 
its physical values bespeak a gen¬ 
erous budget, and a brief sequence 
in which the Royal Indian Ballet 
and Opera participate represents 
an additional asset. But, unfortu¬ 
nately, the story is a stock soap 
opera yarn. 1 

B.o. prospects for this ft: K. 


Films-Bombay production in the 
U.S. market will be largely limited 
to curiosity seekers interested in 
learning something about India. 
It could rate attention from art 
houses in college towns. 

Based upon a novel by K. A. 
Abbas, script traces a sordid tale 
of a poor boy dominated by a thief 
who exhorted him to steal. Young¬ 
ster actually is the son of a noted 
jurist but he is unaware of this. 
Plot endeavors to show that if an 
individual is born of intelligent 
parents he will resist a life of 
wickedness even if he’s subjected 
to an environment reeking with 
criminals and n’eer-do-wells. 

Raj Kapoor, also director of 
the film, creditably portrays the 
boy who eventually straightens 
out his life after a string of bad 
breaks. Chieflyi responsible for his 
rehabilitation is Nargis, a Portia 
who befriends Kapoor. Her per¬ 
formance is vitally sincere as she 
tells court of the circumstances 
which contributed to the boy’s 
misfortunes. Of course, it’s clear 
that she’ll wait for him after he 
pays his debt to society. 

Two heavies in the case are 
H. R. Kapoor, as the stern judge 
who ordered his expectant wife 
out into the street when he sus¬ 
pected her of being unfaithful, and 
A. K. Kapoor as the criminal who 
vowed to lead Raj KaDoor astray. 
Both succeed in making them¬ 
selves thoroughly disliked. Leela 
is loyal and understanding as the 
'falsely accused mother. 

Direction of Raj Kapoor is in¬ 
clined to be somewhat uncertain 
at times. But in view of the roam¬ 
ing dramatic range of the story it’s 
auite understandable. Royal Indian 
Ballet and Opera impress in a 
“dream" scene. Score of Shankar 
& Jaikishan hews to typical Indian 
melodies. English titles are ade¬ 
quate. Gilb. 


The Miracle* of flic Reef 

(COLOR) 


Pictorially exciting underwater 
excursion featuring unique 
footage of marine life. Strong 
b.o. prospect in special situa¬ 
tions. 


Marine Studios presentation of a But¬ 
terfield and Wolf picture, produced by 
Alfred Butterfield. Photographed, di¬ 
rected and edited by Lloyd Ritter, Rob¬ 
ert Young and Murray Lcrner. Narration 
written by Butterfield and Ritter-Young- 
Lerner and spoken by Joseph Julian; 
music, Clinton Elliott, conducted by 
Simon Sadnff; color, Tri-Art, Previewed 
72 MiNS March 27, * 56, Runnin S time. 


The bitter struggle for survival 
and the endless cycle of life and 
death below the surface of the 
sea provides “The Miracle of the 
Reef" with an abundance of color¬ 
ful and exciting footage. Nature 
lovers, and particularly students 
of marine life, should find this 
featur^length underwater excur¬ 
sion a rewarding experience. 

Pic, shot in excellent color and 
edited very intelligently with a view 
to maximum visual contrasts, is a 
documentary of more than ordi¬ 
nary merit. There are no people 
in it, yet some of the scenes—par¬ 
ticularly the struggle between the 
giant moray eels and the octopus 
—carry a real wallop. In fact, if 
anything, the cruelty of the under¬ 
water world is overplayed in this 
Butterfield-Wolf production. 

Limited as it undoubtedly is, 
there surely is an audience for 
offbeat efforts such as this. Some 
of the views caught by the sub¬ 
merged cameras of Lloyd Ritter, 
Robert Young and Murray Lerner 
are breathtaking and unusual. One 
might cite the wonderful bit of 
the seahorse giving birth-to hun¬ 
dreds of tiny little seahorses 
ejecting them from his breeding 
pouch; or the marvellous shots of 
thq old sea turtle wheezing her 
way onto the beach to lay her eggs, 
and the eventual breaking out of 
the little turtles from their shells. 

There is constant, flowing move¬ 
ment in this strange marine world, 
and possibly there is too much of 
an accent on these large schools of 
fish streaking through the waters. 
This is made up for by the camera 
focusing on individual odd-looking 
creatures, such as the Lion’s Mane 
Jellyfish laying its eggs while 
capturing little fish for food; the 
little crab decorating itself with 
bits of sponge for camouflage, and 
the spiny lobster jumping out of 
his own skin. 

Narration by vet radio narrator 
Joseph Julian is unobtrusively po¬ 
etic and yet provides much-needed 
explanations. Simon Sadoff’s mu¬ 
sical backgrounds- are charming, 
particularly the gay little tune 
that goes with the seahorse se¬ 
quence. Pictures like these have 
more often won prizes than cus¬ 
tomers. If properly sold, this Al¬ 
fred E. Butterfield production 
could turn out a real pacesetter, 
i Hift. 


Tin* Way Out 

(BRITISH) 


Gene Nelson as an American 
husband in England. Dull en¬ 
tertainment. 


Hollywood, April 10. 

RKO release of Alec Snowden (Todon) 
production. Stars Gene Nelson, Mona 

Freeman, John Bentley; features Michael 
Goodliffe, Sydney Tafler, Charles Victor. 
Direction and screenplay by Montgomery 
Tully; story, Bruce Grahme; camera. 
Philip Grindrod; editor, Geoffrey Miller; 
music supervision. Richard Taylor. Pre¬ 
viewed April 5, '56. Running time, 78 

MINS. 

Greg Carradine ........... Gene Nelson 

Terry Carradine .Mona Freeman 

Detective Seagrave. John Bentley 

John Moffat . Michael Goodliffe 

Alf Cressett . Sydney Tafler 

Tom Smithers . Charles Victor 

George . Arthur Lovegrove 

Anderson . Cyril Chamberlain 

Vera Bellamy . Paula Byrne 

Blonde . . i . Kay Callard 

Inspector Keyes . Michael Golden 

Mr, Hardin? . Charles Mortimer 

Policewoman . Margaret Harrison 

Farmer ...:. Clifford Buckton 


This lensed - in - Britain melo¬ 
drama is lowercase material for 
dual bills. It spins an unbelieve- 
able story and is poorly directed 
and ac,ted. An otherwise all-Brit¬ 
ish cast is topped by Gene Nelson 
and-Mona Freeman. 

Under executive producer Tony 
Owen, the Todon presentation was 
produced by Alec Snowden for 
RKO release against a London set¬ 
ting. Montgomery Tully not only 
handled the inept direction, but 
also wrote the incredible script 
from a story by Bruce Graeme. 
Nelson’s scant acting ability makes 
a bad role worse and Miss Free¬ 
man is never given a chance to 
show anything in her spot. 

Nelson, an American living in 
England and married to Miss 
Freeman, comes home one night 
on the run, saying he has killed a 
man in a drunken barroom fight. 
His wife makes arrangements to 
smuggle him out of England, 
meantime having found out Nel¬ 
son’s no good and figuring this 
way she’ll be free of him. With 
the bobbies closing in, it’s a long, 
dull chase with a multitude of 
truck changes enroute. Windup 
finds Nelson run over by a bus. 
thus leaving Miss Freeman with a 
chance to get better acquainted 
with John Bentley, the detective 
masterminding the chase for Nel¬ 
son. 

Along with the above three¬ 
some, others in the cast include 
Michael Goodliffe, Sydney Tafler, 
Charles Victor, Arthur Lovegrove, 
Cyril Chamberlain, Paula Byrne 
and Kay Caliard. They fare no 
better than the principals. Editing 
is choppy and lensing average. 

Brog. 


Teufol in Spidc 

(Devil In Silk) . 
(GERMAN) 


Berlin, March 20. 

Deutsche London release of Fono pro¬ 
duction. Stars Lilli Palmer, Curd Juer- 
gens. Features Winnie Markus, Adelheid 
Seeck, Hans Nielsen, Wolf?an? Buettner, 
Hilde Koerber, Paul Bildt. Helmut 
Rudolph, Robert Meyn, Otto Graf. Wolf¬ 
gang Martini, Else Ehser. Directed b.v 
Rolf Hansen. Screenplay bv Jochen Huth 
from novel, “Devil Next Door,” b.v Gina 
Kraus; music, Mark Lothar; camera, 
Franz Weihmayr. At. Marmorhaus, Berlin. 
Running time, 105 MINS. 


This is Lilli Palmer’s second 
German film and she again turns 
in a superlative performance. It’s 
primarily her work that makes 
“Devil in Silk" above-average. Di¬ 
rection by Rolf Hansen and scrip¬ 
ting by Jochen Huth also are top 
assets. This psychological society- 
drama gives the players a chance 
to exhibit their abilities. 

Cast includes a number of w.k. 
players, such as Curd Juergens, 
Winnie Markus. Adelheid Seeck, 
Hans Nielsen, Hilde Koerber and 
Paul Bildt. 

Technically, “Devil In Silk" is 
also very good. Franz Weihmayr’s 
lensing and Mark Lothar’s interest¬ 
ing score represent nice quality. 
A highly recommended German 
film, it should have strong b.o. 
chances in this country and may 
appeal to class audiences here for 
whom the Lilli Palmer name means 
something. .“Devil In Silk" looks 
like a good bet for overseas. 

Hans. 


Gri-Gri 


Defense Films Corp. release of a Joelle- 
Yatove Films production, filmed with 
cooperation of UN Museum of Man; nar¬ 
ration written by Eileen and Robert 
Mason Pollock; camera, Pierre Gaisseau, 
Jean Fichter. Andre Virel, Tony SaUl- 
nier; editors, Harry Robin, Charles Diana, 
Gabriel Rongler and Fernand Marralla. 
Reviewed at RKO Hillstreet Theatre, Apr. 
4, 1956. Running time 64 MINS. 


Overdramatized comment ary 
marks this pictorial exploration of 
native life and customs in French 
West Africa more an anthropologi¬ 
cal study than a theatrical release, 
market is uncertain. Material is 
for the strong of stomach. 

Chances for wide acceptance are 
lessened by several fairly grue¬ 
some scenes of native sacrifice, in 
I which a 'rim, a rooster and a dog 
I have their throats cut on-screen, 


sparing no detail. Likewise, an¬ 
other sequence graphically dwells 
•on a painfully primitive method of 
tattooing. 

Tale deals with efforts of a 
quartet of French scientists to 
reach and film the sacred rites of 
the Toma tribe, wherein the maid¬ 
ens are “sexually mutilated' (cli¬ 
toris deletion) in preparation for 
marriage. It should bfc' gratefully 
noted that this never actually ap¬ 
pears on the screen, although 
some village cronies arfe shown de¬ 
scriptively waving a ghastly set of 
implements in the preliminary 
stages of the rites. However, at 
the last minute and storm blows 
up and the natives take this as an 
indication that the gods are angry 
and stop the ceremonies. The 
Frenchmen return to their base 
without the final footage, as the 
tale ends. 

Even if the accompanying story 
penned by Eileen and Robert 
Mason Pollock and narrated by an 
unidentified commentator, seems 
somewhat overembroidered for 
complete acceptance, explanations 
of the native customs are well 
done. 

Black-and-white footage is at¬ 
tributed equally to the four scien¬ 
tists — leader Pierre Gaisseau, 
Jean Fichter, Andre Virel and 
Tony Saulnier—and is of excellent 
quality, considering the handicaps 
under which it was shot. Filming 
was done with cooperation of UN 
Museum of Man. Aside from the 
natives, the quartet of scientists 
also comprises the entire cast. 

Kove. 


( Iiarloy’s Tanic 

(Charley’s Aunt) 
(GERMAN—COLOR) 

Frankfurt, March 27. 

Constantin release of Berollna Film 
production. Stan; Heinz. Ruehmann; fea- 
•lures Hertha Feiler, Claus Biedcrstaedt. 
Waiter Giller. Directed by Hans Qcst. 
Screenplay, Gustav Kumpendonk after 
play by Brandon Thomas; camera (East- 
mancolor). Kurt Schulz: music. Friedrich 
Schroeder. At Film Palast, Frankfurt. 
Running time. 90 MINS. 

Dr. Otto Dernburg ... Heinz Ruehmann 
Carloita Ramii-ez .... Hertha Feiler 
Ralf Dernburg .... Claus Biederstaedt 

Charley Sallmann . Walter Giller 

Ulla . Elisa Loti 

Britto . Ina Peters 


This enlarged joke about the 
helpful older brother who dresses 
up as Charley’s aunt, so that 
Charley and his teen-age pal have 
a chaperone when they entertain 
two young girls has become a stage 
and screen classic. And the fact 
that it’s-still funny is proved be¬ 
cause it’s doing top boxoffice busi¬ 
ness in Germany and may become 
one of the biggest grossers since 
the war. 

For the older audiences, who 
may have seen such great “aunts" 
as Jack Benny and Ray Bolger, a 
lot of spirit has gone out of the 
old punchlines, and the obvious 
disguises and ruses are strictly- not 
for the sophisticates. But for the 
inexperienced audience, this up- 
to-date version with some fine new 
music, is aimed right at the b.o., 
and scores heavily. 

Standout show tune, “Es kann 
heute sein" (It Can Be Today), is 
also a disk click via radio and tv 
plugging, and adds a fine plus for 
composer Friedrich Schroeder. 
Eastmancolor, too. is an asset. 

Heinz Ruehmann is properly 
devilish as the disguised man, 
although anyone above the men¬ 
tality of a 10-year-old would see 
through his falsie-fied front. For 
the slapsticky set, though, the pic 
can’t miss. 

Film could do same big business 
in the German-speaking theatre in 
the U.S. Haze. 


Herbert Wilcox 

-- Continued from page 5 —— 

on the M-G lot in London “if there 
is room.’’ 

The British producer found the 
Metro deal “most encouraging," 
citing the current difficulty to get 
British banks to invest in film pro¬ 
duction. “The bank squeeze is get¬ 
ting tighter all the time," he said. 
He added that never in his 37 years 
of visiting N. Y. had he found such 
warm receptivity for British en¬ 
tertainment and British pictures. 

“The major company executives 
are thinking internationally now," 
he noted. 

Wilcox’s “My Teen-Age Daugh¬ 
ter” has been left with George 
Schaefer to handle and an indie re¬ 
leasing deal for it is in the offing. 
Wilcox said he had cooled off on 
the idea of preeming the Anna 
Neagle starrer on tv “because I’m 
told the film has a great potential 
boxoffice and I don’t want to kill 
that." 

Wilcox also said he was still dis¬ 
cussing a tv film production deal 
with Guild Films, and he had ar¬ 
ranged for Miss Neagle, his wife, 
to appear in three color tv spectac¬ 
ulars next season; under the Noel 
Coward banner.. 









































PICTURE CROSSES 


L.A. Down; ‘Cry Terrif $105,000 in 
11 Spots, ‘Gaby Lively 8G, ‘Doctor 
Boff 6G, ‘Las Vegas Big l^G, 2d 


Los Angeles, April 10. -*■-:—- 

“I’ll Cry Tomorrow,” now play- Tpapoao 

Ing regular firstrun, is pacing the DrOHuWStY UfOSSCS 

biz here this stanza with fine $23,- _ 

000 in two theatres plus sock $82,- _ 

000 in one nabe and eight drive- Estii° $633100 

ins. Good $8,000 is expected in This Week .... . .. • $633,100 

first week of “Gaby,” playing the [Based on 23 t/ieatrcs.) 

Four Star, while “Doctor At Sea Last Year .$637,700 

looms solid $6,000 in first El Rey (Based on 19 theatres.) 

St ^ri Gri” looms mild $7,000 in y + 

*, “A* 5"i»» s ‘Planet Wow 16G, 

three houses. * imiivi it wt 

Most holdovers and extended- 

runs are showing a softer ten- T% 1- IIT 1A/V 

Si cy on ai r„ E g h sir -ssnss Baito; Wayne m 

the Great” is rated okay $14,000 T 

in second Fox Wilshire stanza. Baltimore, April 10. 

500 C i^ r fouith te week O °at S Hollywood weekend is being felt in 

Paramount. “Met Me in Las fairish grosses here this week. 
Vegas” shapes nice $14,500 or over Second week of “Alexander the 
at Downtown Par in second ses- G reaF » j s strong at the New. “For- 

Si0 ”' Estimates for This Week bidden Manet” is surprisingly 

Four Star (UATG) (868; 90- brisk at the Town. “Song Of 

$1 50 )_“Gaby” (M-G). Good $8,- South” is solid at the Hipp. “Con- 

000. Last week, “Cry Tomorrow” q Ue ror” still is great in second 


Estimated Total Gross 

This Week .$633,100 

(Based on 23 theatres.) 

Last Year .$637,700 

(Based on 19 theatres.) 


‘Planet’Wow 16G, 
Baito; Wayne 10G 

Baltimore, April 10. 
Rainy weekend is being felt in 


(M i?yeV 5t <FWc1 ^Vo^O,- “■* 

“Doctor At Sea” (Rep). Socko $6,- opening roun. 
.000. Last week, moveo.ver run. tancy. 

Hillstreet (RKO) (2,752; 80-$l) Estimates 

—“Gri Gri” (Indie). Mild $7,000 Centurv (Fr 
Last week, “Song South’ <BV) and „„ 

“Bend of River” (U) (reissues) f2d $1.25)— Man 
wk, $5,000. Suit” (20th). 


week at Mayfair after a terrific 
opening round, way over expec¬ 
tancy. 

Estimates for This Week 
Century (Fruchtman) (3,000; 50- 
$1.25)—“Man In Gray Flannel 
Suit” (20th). Starts tomorrow 


State, Vogue (UATC-FWC) (2.- (\y e d.). Fifth week of “Carousel” 

^” 8 ?M^' $ Fi 5 n°il23!000 X ,20th > «»* moderate $6,000. 
week, Vogue, “Man Golden Arm” Cinema (Schwaber) (460; 50-$l) 
(UA) (3d wk) $5 100. "* — — Hill 24 Doesn’t Answer” (In- 

Warner Downtown, Wiltern New die). Mild $3,500. Last week, 
Fox (SW-FWC) (1,757; 2,344; 965; “Animal Farm” (Indie) (3d wk), 
90-$1.50) — “Come Next Spring” $2,000. 

(Rep) and “Hidden Guns” (Rep). Film Centre (Rappaport) (890; 
Slow $14,000. Last week, with Fox $1.25-$2.50)—“Oklahoma” (Magna) 
Beverly, “Miracle In Rain” (WB) ( 6 t'h wk). Sock $20,000 after $18,- 
and “Hold Back Tomorrow” (U), 000 last week. 

$ 1 7, 0 00. . „ 9Qfi . Hippodrome (Rappaport) (2,100; 

Fox Wilshire. (FWC) (2,296 $1- 50 -$i) — “Rock Around Clock” 


“Alexander, Great’ 


(Col) and “Battle Stations” (Col). 


(2d wk). Okay $14,000. Last week, op ens today (Tues.). Last week, 
$19,300. , T)T 3 rnt “Song of South” (BV) (reissue), 

Downtown Paramount (ABPT) smash $12,000. 

(3.300; $1-$1.50) — “Meet Me Las ,on n . sn tn 

y.-.Ji [Tv/r g) ( 2 d wk) Nice $14 - Little (Rappaport) (300, 50-$l)— 

SPLit week$20 500 * ’ “ Don Juan ” andie) * ° kay $ 3 > 500 - 

Fine Arts (FWC) (631; $1-$1.50) H a n s i ie ^ e /& wk) >0 $2 000 She S Bad ” 
—“Patterns” (UA) (2d wki. Mild (Indie) (3d i\k), $2,000. 

$4,000. Last week, $4,900. Mayfair ■ (Hicks) (960; 50-$1.25) 

Orpheum, Pantages (Metropoli- —“Conqueror” (RKO) 1 (2d wk). 
tan-RKO) (2,213; 2,812; 90-$1.50>— Wow $10,000 following $18,000 
“Anything Goes” (Par) (2d wk). opener. First week for John Wayne 
Slow $16,000. Last week, $23,l00. starrer went way over estimate, 
Los Angeles, Hollywood, Up- helped, of course, by the b.o. tab 
town, Loyola (FWC) (2,097; 756; tilted from 70c to $1.25. 

1,715; 1,248; 90-$1.50)—“Coman- New (Fruchtman) (1,600; 50-$l) 
che” (UA) and “High Society” —“Alexander Great” (UA) (2d 
(AA) (reissue) (2d wk). Thin $13- wk). Sock $18,000 after $24,000 
500. Last week, $19,600. opener. 

Hawaii (G&S) (1,106; 80-$1.25)— playhouse (Schwaber) (410; 50- 
“Forbidden Pallet (M-G) 2d wk). $1) _ “p ri soner” (Col) (5th-final 

9°? d JS; 5 i!?A i Las Lo"S’ wk). Fairish $2,000. Last week, 

* State, $23,600, plus $48,300 in two $2,500. 

na HoTlvwood Paramount (F&M) Stanley (WB) (3,200; 35-$l)— 
(143o” $T$150)— a “ou?t Jester”’ “Anything Goes” (Par) (2d \yk). 
(Par)(4thwk) Neat $9 500 Last Slow $6,000 after $10,000 in first, 
week $12 200. Town (Rappaport) (1,400; 50-$l) 

Warner Beverly (SW) (1.612; $1-“Forbidden Planet” (M-G). 

$1 75 )—“Picnic” (Col) (7th wk). Great $16,000. Last week, “I’ll Cry 
Okay $12,000. Last week, $14,000. Tomorrow” (M-G) (5th wk), 
Chinese (FWC) (1,908; $1.40-$4) $7,000. • 

—“Carousel” (20th) ( 8 th wk). -’- 

Good $13,000. Last week, $14,800. n .1 

Egyptian, United Artists (UATC) Wm/vrav WI/vMEYn/t 

(1,411; 1,242; $1.10-$2.75)-“Okla- jfl()W dlOUffDS ITIDIS 

homa” (Magna) (21st wk, Egyptian; l - rilVTf UAVUgllO IViptd 
16th wk, UA). Nice $32,000. Last . ^ 

W Waraer ,7 Hollywood (SW) (1,364; (!00* Rtflf 

$1.20-$2.65)—“Cinerama Holiday” VUjVVVj UCH/IUlldl 

(Indie) (22d wk). Into current 

stanza Sunday ( 8 ) after good $30,- Minneapolis, April 10. 

300 last Week. We^kpnH n-estr-hUw.nrris and cold 


USbiett _ 

‘Suit’ Rugged $13,000, 
Seattle; ‘Vegas’ 6G, 2d 

Seattle, April 10. 

Second stanza prevail for “For¬ 
bidden Planet” and “Meet Me In 
Las Vegas” at the Orpheum and 
Music Hall. Both are okay. “Car¬ 
ousel” is winding up at the Fifth 
Avenue with the eurrent (4th) 
week of a steady run. “Threshold 
of Space” is big at Coliseum and 
“Gray Flannel Suit” fine at Para¬ 
mount. 

. Estimates for This Week 

Blue Mouse (Hamrick) (800; 90- 
$1.25) — “Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) 
(5th wk). Swell $6,000. Last week, 
$6,700. 

Coliseum (Evergreen) (1,870; 90- 
$1.25) — “Threshold of Space” 
(20th) and “Ghost Town” (UA). 
•Big $10,000 or near. Last week, 
“Anything Goes” (Par) and “Post- 
mark for Danger” (RKO), $10,500 
in 8 days 

Fifth Avenue (Evergreen) (2,- 
500; $1-$1.50)—“Carousel” (20th) 
(4th wk). Good $6,500. Last week, 
$8,200. v 

Music Box (Hamrick) (850; 90- 
$1.25)—“Come Next Spring” (Rep) 
and “Secret Venture” (Rep). Mod¬ 
est $3,000. Last week, “Wages of 
Fear” (Indie), $3,100. 

Music Hall (Hamrick) (2,200; 90- 
$1.25)—“Meet Me in Las Vegas” 
(M-G) and “Glory” (RKO) (2d wk). 
Good $6,000. Last week, $9,400. 

Orpheum (Hamrick) (2,700; 90- 
$1.25)—“Forbidden Planet” (M-G) 
and “Kentucky Rifle” (Indie) (2d 
wk!. Oke $6,000 in 8 days. Last 
week, $ 11 , 200 . 

Paramount (Evergreen) (3,039; 
90-$1.25)—“Man in Gray Flannel 
Suit” (20th). Great $13,000. Last 
week, “Picnic” (Col) (5th wk), 
$ 6 , 000 . 

‘Alex' Terrif 2DG, 
Cleve.; ‘Suit' 14G 

Cleveland, April 10. 

Strength at the boxoffice this 
stanza is with the holdovers. 
Neither “Meet Me in Las Vegas” 
at State or “Harder They Fall” at 
the Palace are smash as new en¬ 
tries. However, “Vegas” is fairish. 
Big blockbuster is “Alexander the 
Great,” with a powerful take in 
second Stillman week. “Man in 
Gray Flannel Suit” is rated tall in 
second Hipp session. Fourth round 
of Allen’s “Carousel” continues 
strong. 

Estimates for This Week 

Allen (3,000; 70-$1.25)—“Carou¬ 
sel” ( 20 th) (4th wk. Smart $9,000. 
Last week $13,500. 

Hipp (Telem’t) (3,700; 70-$l)— 
“Man in Gray Flannel Suit” (20th) 
(2d wk). Tall $14,000. Last week, 
$16,000. 

Ohio (Loew) (1,244; 7Q4D— 

“Anything Goes” (Par) (m.o.). Okay 
$7,000. Last week, “Rose Tattoo” 
(Par) (m.o.), in fifth downtown lap, 
$7,100. 

Palace (RKO) (3,285; 70-90)— 
“Harder They Fall” (Col). Modest 
$11,000 or close. Last week, “Back¬ 
lash” <U), same. 

State (Loew) (3,500; 70-90)— 

“Meet Me in Las Vegas” (M-G). 
Fairish $13,000. Last week, “Any¬ 
thing Goes” (Par), $12,000. 

Stillman (Loew) (2,700; 70-90)— 
“Alexander the Great” (UA) (2d 
wk). Powerful $20,000. Last week, 
$ 22 , 000 . 


Wednesday, April 11 , 1955 


‘Planet’ Smash 14G, Ciney; ‘Carousel’ 
Stout $13,500,2d ‘Holiday’ 17G, 42d 


Snow Sloughs Mpls. But ‘Vegas’ Lush 
$8,000; ‘Backlash’ 9G, ‘Carousel’ 12G 


‘Flannel’ Smart $14,000, 
Pitt; ‘Diabolique’ Great 
6G, ‘Carousel’ Sock 11G 

Pittsburgh. April 10. 
Holdovers of. “Man in Gray Flan¬ 
nel Suit” at Harris and “Carousel” 
at Fulton along with next to final 
week of “Cinerama Holiday” at 
Warner are sparking downtown 
trade Currently. Neither of the 
two new pictures, "Miracle in 
Rain” at Stanley and “Tribute to a 
Bad.Man” at Penn, are smash but 
Squirrel Hill’s “Diabolique” may 
give the nabe arter a new house 
record. It started senstionally.. 

Estimates for This Week 
Fulton (Shea) (1,700: 85-S1.25'— 
“Carousel” (20th) (3d wk'. Holding 
up exceptionally well at $ 11 , 000 ; 
goes a fourth. Last week, $12,500. 

Guild (Green) (500; 65-$ D— 

“Night Number Came Up” (Indie) 
(Continued on page 20) 


Minneapolis, April 10. 

Weekend near-bllzzards and cold 
again is playing havoc with film 
grosses here. However, although 
they undoubtedly suffered, the new 
entries, “Meet Me in Las Vegas,” 
"Backlash” and “Battle Stations” 
along with the numerous hold¬ 
overs, promise to come through 
with respectable figures. “Vegas” 
and “Backlash” look especially 
good. It’s the 40th week for “Cin¬ 
erama Holiday,” the sixth for 
“Rose Tattoo” and second for 
“Carousel” and “Anything Goes.” 
All but the last named are still 
flourishing. 

Estimates for This Week 

Century (S-W) (1,150; $1.75- 

$2.65)-r-“Cinerama Holiday” (Indie) 
(40th wk). Current stanza rated 
sensational $15,500. Last week, 
$17,500. 

Gopher (Berger) (1,000; 85-$l)— 
"Meet Me in Las Vegas” (M-G). 
Tall $8,000 and will stay. Last 
week, “Marty” (UA) (2d run) (2d 
wk), $3,500 in 5 days. 

Lyric (Par) (1.000; 65-85)—“Rob¬ 
ber’s Roost” (UA) and “Storm 


Fear” (UA) split with “Three Bad 
Sisters” !UA) and “Timetable” 
(UA). Mild $3,500. Last week, 
“Picnic” (Col) ( 6 th wk), $5,500 in 
5 days at $1 top. 

Radio City (Par) (4,100; 85-$1.25) 
—“Carousel” (20th) (2d wk). Still 
traveling at fast clip around $ 12 ,- 
000. Last week, $16,000. 

RKO Orpheum (RKO) (2,800; 75- 
$1)—“Backlash” (U). Well liked 
and demonstrating considerable 
boxoffice strength. Fine $9,000. 
Last week. “Song of South” (BV) 
(reissue) ( 2 d wk), $ 8 , 000 . ‘ 

RKO Pan (RKO) (1,600; 65-85)— 
“Battle Stations” (Col) and “Apache 
Ambush” (Col). Fine $5,500. Last 
week, “Mister Roberts” (WB)’ and 
“Rebel Without Cause” (WB) (2d 
runs) (2d wk). $3,500 in 5 days at 
75c-$l scale. 

State (Par) (2,300; 85-$l)—“Any¬ 
thing Goes” (Par) (2d wk). Con¬ 
sidering its merits -and boxoffice 
names, this one has been a b.o. 
disappointment. Fair $ 6 , 000 . Last 
W'eek, $8,500. 

World (Mann) (400; 75-$1.20)— 
“Rose Tattoo” (Par) ( 6 th wk). 
Sturdy $3,500. Last week,- $4,200. 


Key City Grosses 


Estimated Total Gross 

This Week .. $2,807,500 

(Based on 24 cities and 231 
theatres, chiefly first rims, in¬ 
cluding N. Y.) 

Total Gross Same Week 

Last Year .$2,966,500 

(Based on 24 cities and- 229 
theatres.) 


‘Cry’Mighty 36G 
In Wet Toronto 


Toronto, April 10. 

Heavy rains are denting weekend 
biz among the adults but not de¬ 
terring the matinee school kids on 
thefr Easter holiday layoff. Only 
major newcomer is “Great Waltz,” 
a 1938 reprint for widescreen,, and 
sad in two houses. Big on second 
stanzas are “I’ll Cry Tomorrow',” 
which is topping city with smash 
returns and “Anything Goes” also 
big. Also hep is “Lieutenant Wore 
Skirts” in second frame. Tapering 
off in third is “Carousel.” 

Christie, Hyland (Rank) (877; 
1:357; 75-$l)—“Ladykillers” (Rank) 
(2d wk). Hefty $15,000. Last week, 
$16,000. 

Estimates for This Week 

Circle, Towne (Taylor) (750; 693; 
60-$l)—“Geordie” (IFD) (2d wk). 
Fine $7,500. Last week, $9,500. 

Downtown, Glendale, Scarboro, 
State, Westwood (Taylor) (1,059; 
995; 694; 696; 994; 40-75)—“Red 
Sundown” (U) and “Bowery Boys 
Crashing Las Vegas” (AA). Fine 
$15,500. Last, week, “Battle Sta¬ 
tions”* (Col) and “Duel on the Mis¬ 
sissippi” (Col), $13,000. 

Eglinton, University (FP) (1,080; 
1,556; 60-$l)—“Great Waltz” (M-G;. 
Sad $13,000.- Last week, “Miracle 
in Rain” (WB), $11,000. 

Fairlawn, Odeon (Rank) (1,165; 
2,318; 60-$l) — “Lieut. Wore 

Skirts” (20th) (2d wk). Hot $12,000. 
Last week, $14,000. 

Imperial (FP) (3,344; $1-$1.50)— 
“Carousel” (20th) (3d wk). Dipping 
to $16,000. Last week, $21,000. 

International (Taylor) (557; $1- 
$1.75)—“Richard III” (IFD) ( 6 th 
wk). Fine $5,000. Last week, 
$ 6 , 000 . 

Loew’s, Uptown (Loew) (2,096; 
2,745; 75-$1.25) — “I’ll Cry Tomor¬ 
row” (M-G) (2d wk). Smash $36,- 
000. Last week, $53,000. V 

Shea’s (FP) (2,375; 60-$l)—“Any¬ 
thing Goes” (Par) (2d wk). Still 
hep at $16,000. Last week, $23,000. 

Bliz Bobs Hub; Wayne 
Socko $28,000,‘Flannel’ 
19G, ‘Holiday’ 16G, 33d 

Boston, April 40. 

A whistling blizzard sloughed 
trade at firstruns Sunday, the all- 
day snowstorm amounting to 8 
mches. This tied up transportation 
caused power blackouts in several 
areas and is cutting big chunks out 
of week’s grosses. This was first 
big blizzard here in April and it 
was first week in over a year with 
not one new entry. 

Exhibs had expected soaring biz, 
until the Sunday bliz showed up. 
Firstruns in downtown , Boston 
were unscathed by power failure, 
but suffered from a dearth of 
patrons.. Leading the city is “The 
Conqueror” at the Memorial in 
second frame with solid takings. 
“Man in Gray -Flannel Suit” at 
Met is holding nicely in second 
week. - “Anything Goes” is offish 
in- second Fenway and Paramount 
rounds. 

Estimates for This Week 

Astor (B&Q) (1,500; $1-$1.80)— 
“I’ll Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) (5th 
wk). Neat $13,000. Last week, 
$15,000. 

Beacon (Beacon Hill) (678; 90- 
$1.25)—“Diabolique” (UMPO) ( 8 th 
wk). Happy $6,000. Last week, 
ditto. • , % 

Cinerama (Cinerama . Produc¬ 
tions) (1,354;. $1.20-$2.65) — “Cine¬ 
rama Holiday” (Indie) (33d wk). 
Biiz cut this to $16,000. Last week, 
big $18,000. 

Exeter (Indie) (1,300; 60-$l) — 
“Doctor at Sea” (Rep) (5tli wk). 
Mild $3,000. Last week, $3,800. 

• Fenway (NET) (1,373; 60-$l) — 
“Anything Goes” (Par) and “World 
in Corner” (U) (2d wk). Fair $4,000. 
Last week, $6,000. 

Kenmore (Indie) (700; 85-$1.25) 
—“Night Number Came Up” (Cont) 
- (Continued on'page 20) 


Cincinnati, April 10 . 

“Forbidden Planet,” this week’s 
lone newcomer, is zooming to 
smash status at Palaee. “Carousel” 
maintains a fast second-session 
pace at Albee and will likely brass- 
ring for a third round. Grand con¬ 
tinues sturdy'with fourth frame of 
“I’ll Cry Tomorrow.” “Harder 
They Fall” shapes so-so in short¬ 
ened second frame at Keith’s. Out- 
of-town groups of school pupils are 
bolstering “Cinerama Holiday” 
trade in 42d week at Capitol. 

Estimates for This Week 

Albee (RKO) (3,100; 84-$1.25)— 
“Carousel” (20th) (2d wk). Stout 
I $13,500 after $19,500 takeoff. 

I Capitol (Ohio Cinema Corp) 
(1.376; $1.20-$2.65) — “Cinerama 

Holiday” (Indie) <42d wk). Looks 
like repeat of last week’s hotsy 
$17,000. Bolstered by school chil¬ 
dren from Louisville and Indian¬ 
apolis. 

Grand (RKO) (1,400; 84-$1.25^— 
“I’ll Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) (4th 
wk). Smart $8,000 on heels of 
third round’s $9,000. 

Keith’s (Shor) (1,500; 75-$1.25)—- 
“Harder They Fall” (Col) (2d wk- 
6 days). So-so $6,000. Last week, 
$8,600. 

Palace (RKO) (2,600; 75-$1.10)— 
“Forbidden Planet” (M-G). Smash 
$14,000 or over. Last week, “Song 
of South” (BV) (reissue), $14,500. 

‘Fall’ Good $10,000, K.C.; 
‘Miracle’ 7G, ‘Anything’ 
OK 7iG, ‘Backlash’ 13G 

Kansas City. April 10. 

Biz is off somewhat from last 
week’s high levels, but still mod¬ 
erately good. Among newcomers 
“Harder They Fall” is getting okay, 
money at the Midland while 
“Miracle in Rain” is just passable 
at the Missouri. Biggest money 
comparatively is being done by 
“Carousel” in second week at the 
Roxy. “Backlash” in four Fox 
Midwest houses is average. “Dia¬ 
bolique” continues great in third 
week at Kimo. Weather has been 
changeable. 

Estimates for’ This Week 

Kimo (Dickinson) (504; 75-$l) — 
“Diabolique” (UMPO)* (3d wk). 
Handsome $2,000; holding. Last 
week, $2,500. 

Midland (Loew) (3.500; 60-80)— 
“Harder They Fall” (Col) and 
“Houston Stcft-y” (Col). Good $10,- 
000; stays. Last week, “Cry To¬ 
morrow” (M-G) (3d wk -8 days), 
$74)00. - 

Missouri (RKO) (2,585; 65-90) — 
“Miracle in Rain” (WB) and “Brain 
Machine” (RKO. Pleasant $7,000. 
Last week, “Song of South” (BV) 
(reissue) and “Dig That Uranium’’ 
(AA), $10,000. 

Paramount- (United Par) (1.900; 
75-$l)—“Anything Goes” (Par) (2d 
wk). Okay $7,500. Last week, 
$ 10 , 000 . 

Roxy (Durwood) (879; 75-$ 1- 

$1.25)—“Carousel” (20th) (2d wk). 
Hefty $9,000; stays on. .Last week, 
$15,000. 

Tower, Uptown, Fairway, Gra¬ 
nada (Fox Midwest) (2,100; 2.043; 
700; 1,217; 65-84)—“Backlash” (U) 
and “Naked Dawn” (U). Average 
$13,000. Last week, “Thi'eshold of 
Space” (20th) and “Toughest Man 
Alive” (AA) in Tower, Uptown, 
Fairway, $9,500. “Carousel” at 
Granada with $1.25 top hit $ 5 , 000 . 

Vogue (Golden) (550; 75-$l) -- 
“Doctor at Sea” (Rep) (3d wk. 
Smooth $1,400. Last week, $1,700. 

WAYNE WHAM 16G, 
PROV.; ‘MIRACLE’ 8£G 

Providence, April 19. 

RKO Albee is grabbing most of 
coin here this week with a sock 
take for “The Conqueror.” Other 
firstruns are good but not out¬ 
standing. “Miracle, in Rain” looms 
good at Majestic. 

Estimates for This Week 
* Albee (RKO) (2,200; 65-90)— 

“The Conqueror” (RKO). Sock 
$16,000 or over for Wayne pic. Last 
week, “World ,In Corner” <U) and 
“Red Sundown” (U), $7,000. 

Majestic (Fay) (2,200; 50-85)— 
“Miracle In Rain” (WB) and 
“Stranger At My Door” (WB) Good 
$8,500. Last weekend, “Carousel 
(20th) (2d wk), $9,000. % , (T)11 

State (Loew) (3,200; 75-$l)— \ \ l 
Cry Tomorrow” (M-G) 13d 
Just fair $6,000 after $ 12,000 m 
second. _ n 

Strand (Silverman) (2,200; 50-8o) 
— “Anything Goes” (Par). Ok® 
$7,000. Last week, “Body Snatch¬ 
ers” (AA) and “Indestructible 

Man” (AA), $9,000. 






Wednesday, April 11, 1956 


New Fix Boost Chi; ‘Alex’ Great 65G, 
Flannel’ Wow 45G, ‘Backlash’ Load 
21G, ‘Rain’ $20,000, ‘Holiday’ 27G, 43d 


Chicago, April 10. 4'----- 

Several strong new entries are „ 

stepping up the chi firstrun pace Estimates Are Net 
this frame with. mild ^®£end Film gross estimates as re¬ 
weather helping to bring patrons ported herewith from the vari- 

to the Loop. ^ „ ous key cities, are net: i.e., 

/‘Alexander }£ e f ^ week the without usual tax. .Distrib- 

Chicago helped mightily by effec- share on.net take, when 

five local exploitation, and a $35,- Paying percentage, hence the 

noo ad campaign here. “Man in estimated figures are net in- 

the Gray Flannel Suit*' should get come. 

a sock $45,000 at-Oriental. The parenthetic admission 

“Backlash" and “Steel Jungle" prices, however, as indicated, 

combo looks to do a swell $21,000 include the y. S. arrftisement 
at Roosevelt. “Miracle in Rain" tax. 

and "Our Miss Brooks” double bill, ■- ■■■■ -- 

also new, heads for nice $20,000 in, 

first week at the United Artists. 1ML* 

“Creature Walks Among Us" and I llAKV 

“Price of Fear" twin bill continues Vfll UUOvI llUIOj 
okay in second week at the Grand. 

“There’s Always Tomorrow" stays /frl A AAA HT 0*1 

oke in the second at the Monroe. \|h I Nil I I AilA \f I 

•Forever Darling" looks mild m 1 UUo kJl* JLl« 

third week at the Woods while * 

“Song of South" continues wow in st Louis> A u 10 

same session at the Loop. “Carousel" is the big noise here 

“Picnic is °ke in eighth wf e , k this frame, with most firstruns 
at Stale-Lake. Oklahoma still is depending on holdovers for prod- 
solid in 15th week at McVickers. uc t. “Alexander the Great" is best 
“Diabolique’ continues getting 0 f second-weekers, with good tak- 
healthy com in 16th stanza at Zieg- i n gs at Loew's. “Rose Tattoo" still 
field. "Cinerama Holiday" is sturdy f s S0 Hd on moveover to the Mis- 
in 43d week at Palace. souri. “Cinerama Holiday" con- 

Estimates for This Week tinues fine as it nears end of run. 
Chicago (B&K) (3,900; 98-$1.25) It is currently in sixth week at. 
—"Alexander the Great <UA). the Ambassador. “Doctor At Sea" 
Great $65,000. Last week, “Court i s smash at the arty Richmond. 

Je rrLn’2H0 5 OR°Sl) Estimates for This Week 

<(n G r d rm Ambassador (Indie) (1,400; $1.20- 

?TI? (2d Wk) $ 2 - 40) —“Cinerama Holiday" (Indie) 

Okay $7,000 LaltweS, $14.<m ooOta^w Jk" 6 $1 °’ 000 $13, ‘ 

F#,c <F&M) (5.000; 51-75)—"Man 
'Song of South" (BV) (reissue) (3d Never Was" (20thi and 

i, k ' J n UUnCh tll ‘ S00 - LaSt Week> ™on :Storr (Col^Opened 

$ McVickers (JL&S) (1,580; $1.25- i?* 3 R2J“ -) (WB)‘ t an?’ "R fve'? 

Sr'W^'ooret wlek <WBk lairly an good $ R 12.500 r 

tiinnn ?«i2,090. Last week, Loew's (Loew) (3,172; 50-85) — 

MAT.ro* fTndiol m fmn- R 7 “Alexander The Great"-(UA) (2d 

"Ahvays TomorSw-'fU) (Kfe ^ 12 ' 000 » ftcr WW0 

° k Orfent2l°\tadfeM3 e 46o* 1 9i?.I 0 l'25) Mi « ouri (St. L. Amus.) (3,500; 
-Sn n Grn Flannel SMt" 51-75)-"Rose Tattoo" (Par) 

^Oth) Smash 445 000 Lai Fat * 7 ’ 000 - Last week, “Picnic" 

'ronmipror'* (RKOl ffith (Col) (3d wk), $1,200 in 3 days, 

uonqueror IKKU) (6tn wk), a.™™.’, n /inn. pwiinm 


(RKO) (6th wk). 


„ Orpheum (Loew) (1,400; 50-85)— 
“Marty" (UA) and “Summertime" 


Palace (Eitel) (1,484; $1.25-$3.40) m A ) (3d wk) Finn M?oo fSliow 
-"Cinerama Holiday" (Indie? (43d ne $9 OOO^n 'second f0ll °" 

wk). Sturdy $27,000 or near. Last ^ n nnn- 


week, $25,200. 

Roosevelt (B&K) (1,400; 65-98)— 
“Backlash" (U)-and “Steel Jungle" 


(U>. Smash $21,000. Last week, ono 

World in Corner" fTTl and 9-^UUU. 


Pageant (St. L. Amus.) (1,000; 
50-90?—’"Sea Shall Not Have Them" 
(UA). Good $3,500. Last week, 
“Doctor At Sea" (Indie) (3d wk), 


“World in Corner" (U) and “Red 
Sundown" (U) (2d wk), $15,000. 


Richmond (St. L. Amus.) (400; 
$1.10) — “Doctor At Sea" (Rep). 


State-Lake (B&K) (2 400; BS^S) S„cki3500 LastwVek"ManWho 
-“Picnic" (Col) (8th wk) Okay Loved*Redhead?-T ua) S2000 
$16 000. Last week, $17,500. St LoX (StL Amuf )(4 000 - 

98^ Jn ‘'M < i r adp IS in 'p??! ™ : 65 h 51-90) — “Carousel". (20th). Sock 
;te^L a s de B™ n o R " in ,WBT’N a ice f^°,°2d wk) Tatt0 °" 

(Par 0 )°?6th wk) W $16 500 OSe Tatt0 °” Shady Oak’(St.’ l. Amus.) (800; 

Wood? 7p«»no« 5 ) 00- n one o0 $110)—"Samurai" (Indie) (2d wk). 
$125)°-“Har E d S e S r“my feu"’(Coli Big $2, 500 after $3,000 first session, 
opens today (Tues.). In ahead, /* .1 • o AAA 

. 1,or e v e>; Darling" (M-G) (3d wk), Any thing fast Slo.UUO,* 
fair $15,000 after $19,000 in second. ” 6 “ 

J'lcoimJ ^ 0: s?owl?wo: Frisco; ‘Backlash' Brisk 
( 430 ; os. - 13G, ‘Alex’ Big 14G, 2d 

San Francisco 6 April io. 


Indiahapolis, April 10. 


opens today (Tues.). In ahead, /* .1 • o AAA 

. 1,or e v er Darling" (M-G) (3d wk), Any thing fast Slo.UUO,* 
fair $15,000 after $19,000 in second. ” 6 “ 

J'lcoimJ ^ 0: s?owl?wo: Frisco; ‘Backlash’ Brisk 
(430 ; 98 , _ 13G, ‘Alex’ Big 14G, 2d 

San Francisco 6 April io. 

---- City is loaded with holdovers, 

VArt*1 At 1 only two Important newcomersf be- 

YGgdS KOUSing 14u, ing launched this week. “Okla- 

1 1 1 ... t iA/i rti homa" is stacking up very strongly 

lHQDlS * Anvthina I llli /n with a smash take in seventh round 
iUlJUUUg 1UU, CM at the coronet. “Anything Goes" 

Indiahapolis, April 10. shapes fancy at Paramount to pace 
Riz, perky since Easter, still is new entries. “Blacklash" paired 
good at firstruns here for full with “Kettles in Ozarks” is rated 
round even with holdovers pre- good at Golden Gate. “Alexander 
nominating. “Meet Me In Las the Great” still is smash in sec- 
vegass ’ at Loewis, only new entry, ond session at the United Artists 
tQ rnd and topping the town, as is “Cinerama Holiday" in 36th 
•^ythmg Goes" at the Indiana week at Orpheum. “Picnic" con- 
«na Song of South" at Circle both tinues big in fourth St.„ Francis 
are solid second week biz. round. “Doctor At Sea" still is 

Estimates for This Week great in second stanza, two spots. 
85 uI“q (Cqckrill-Dolle) (2,800; 50- Estimates for This Week 

issue) ?2°d wk) fock$9 OOG^on ton Golden Gate (RK0) (2 ’ 859; 80 " $1) 
of lastweek's 412 nno ™ —“Blacklash" (U) and “Kettles in 

, Indiana ' (C-W (3 200- 60-95)- Ozarks" (U). Good $13,000. Last 
'Anything Goes" (Par)* (2d wk) week » “Creature Walks Among Us 
Nifty $10,000 6S following ^$ 15^006 of Fear" (U), $113,- 

KeUh^tc 2 !)) (1 300* 00 41 50) Fox (FWC) (4 ' 651; $l- 2 5-$1.50)— 
4‘Carousel" C (20th) 1 f4th wkf 1 ’ 5 ?)^ “° n Threshold of Space'i ( 20 th) 

thif ( !°’ not t0 ° m 9 ch off ’ $ 7 ’ 500 wkl L I) S ra? 6 $7 G 500 ° S> 'Laslf w eek 

' s anza. FinaLcount for run J' 1 k 9 ) v nn Drab $7 ’ 500 ' Last ^ eek ’ 

Looav’s 6 ^Loewf 0 ’^^* 60 90) $ Warfield (Loew) (2,656; 65-90)— 

3leet"LVs^as’MM 0 ^ ^eet Me In Las Vegas" (M-G) 


great in second stanza, two spots. 
Estimates for This Week 
Golden Gate (RKO) (2,859; 80-$l) j 
—“Blacklash" (U) and “Kettles in 
Ozarks" (U). Good $13,000. Last' 


meet Me i n Las y egas M m _ Q) meet me in 
$ T 14 - 000 . and probably will Mlld 

r ^ asl; week > “Cry Tomorrow" r 

QT ; C 1 l2d wk), $12,000. , » A P r-i; 

c f L J ri ? (C-D) (1,600; 50-75)—“30 ^? c yt « l r noW' 


9,500. Last week, 


p^eonds Over Tokyo" (M-G) and 
Named Joe" (M-G) (reissues 1 . 


Paramount (Par) (2,646; 90-$D— 
“Anything Goes” (Par) and “Our 
Miss Brooks" (WB). Fancy $18,- 
000. Last week, “Rose Tattoo" 


Last week “Crea- (Par) f5th wk) * $10 ' 000 ’ 
Last W e ® K *_. Urea : Cf Ppanp.is (Par) 11.41 


..E Walk s Among Us" ’(U) and 
nice of Fear" (U), $5,500. 


St. Fvancis (Par) U,4QQ> $1-$1.25) 
(Continued on page 20) 




‘Cry’ Banpp $13,000 in 
Denyer, ‘Alexander’ 12G 

Denver, April 10. 

With all excepting one' theatre 
in holdover currently, biz here is 
down from recent levels. Both 
“I'll Cry Tomorrow" at Orpheum 
and “Anything Goes" at Denham 
are satisfactory in second rounds, 
and will hold again. “Alexander 
the Great" is rated find in first 
holdover stanza at Paramount 
while “Man In Gray Flannel Suit" 
looms fair in second week at the 
Denver. 

Estimates for This Week 

Centre (Fox) (1,247; 60-$l)— 

“Carousel" (20th) (4th wk). Fair 
$11,000. Last week, $12,000. 

Denham (Cockrill) (1,750; 0O-$1) 
—“Anything Goes" (Par) (2d wk). 
Good $9,000. Stays. Last week, 
$12.0Q0. 

Denver (Fox) (2,525; 60-$l>— 
“Man in Gray Flannel Suit" (20th) 
.(2d v/k). Fair $13,000. Last week, 
$15,000. 

Esquire (Fox) (742; 75-$l)— 

“Wages of Fear" (DCA). Good 
$3,000. Holds. Last week, “Too 
Bad She's B^d" (Indie), $2,500. 

Orpheum (RKO) (2,600; 60-$l)— 
“I’ll Cry^,Tomorrow" (M-G) (2d 
wk). Fine $13,000. • Stays again. 
Last week, $23,000. 

Paramount (Wolfberg) (2,200; 
60-$l) — “Alexander the Great” 
(UA) (2d wk). Nice $12,000 or. 
near. Last week, $28,000. 

Vogue (Shulman) (442; 75-$l)— 
“Ladykillers" (UMPO) (3d wk). . 
Okay $2,000. Holding. Last week, 
$3,000. 

‘Vegas’ Socko 18G 
Philly; Lanza 16G 

Philadelphia, April 10. 

Firstruns, which counted on the 
weekend trade, were ruined by the 
two-day unseasonable sleet storm 
here this round. “Serenade" still 
is sock in second stanza at the 
Goldman. There are only a couple 
of pewcomers, with “Meet Me in 
Las Vegas" being outstanding with 
boffo takings at Stanton. “Coman¬ 
che" is doing sleeper biz at the 
Viking with a hefty session in pros¬ 
pect. “Picnic" still is solid in 
seventh stanza at Randolph. “Cine¬ 
rama Holiday," on final-week no¬ 
tice, is pushing to a fancy take at 
the Boyd in 60th week. 

Estimates for This Week 

Arcadia (S&S> (526; 99-$1.80)— , 
“Cry Tomorrow" (M-G) (11th wk). 
Good $7,000. Last week, $8,500. 

Boyd (SW) (1,430; $1.25-$2.60)— ! 
“Cinerama Holiday" (Indie) (60th 1 
wk.). Fast $16,000. Last week, 
$ 10 , 000 . 

Fox (20th) (2,250; 99-$1.80)— j 

“Carousel" (20th) (5th wk). Okay 
$15,000. Last week, $23,000. 

Goldman (Goldman) (1,250; 65- 
$1.35)—“Serenade" (WB) (2d wk). 
Resounding $16,000 for Mario 
Lanza pic. Last week, $25,000. 

Mastbaum (SW) (4,370; 99-$1.49) 
—“Miracle in Rain" (WB) (2d wk). 
Drab $7,000. Last week, $9,000. i 

Midtown (Goldman) (1,000; 75- 
$1.49)—“Anything Goes" (JPar) (3d 
wk). Weak $9,000. Last week, 
$14,000. 

Randolph (Goldman) (2,250; 99- 
$1.80)—“Picnic" (Col) (7th wk). 
Hefty $15,000. Last week, $18,- 
000 . 

Stanton (SW) (1,483; 99-$1.49)— 
“Meet Me In Las Vegas" (M-G). 
Boff $18,000 or near. Last week, 
“Golden Arm" (UA) (12th wk), . 
$9,500. 

Stanley (SW) (2,900; 99-$1.49)— 
“Harder They Fall" (Col) (2d wk). . 
Mild $15,000. Last week, $22,000. 

Trans-Lux (T-L) (500; 99-$1.80)— 
“Rose Tattoo" (Par) (11th wk). 
Sturdy $8,000. Last week, $9,500. 

Viking (Sley) (1,000; 75-$1.49)— 
.“Comanche” (UA). Hefty $11,000 
or over. Last week, “Threshold of 
Space’.' (20th) (2d wk), $7,500. 

Trans-Lux World (T-L) (604; 98- 
$1.50)—“Wages of Fear" (Indie). 
NSG $4,000. Last week, “Pris¬ 
oner" (Col) (4th wk), $2,000. 

‘Carousel’ Crisp 21G, 

Buff.; ‘Alex’ 15G, 2d 

Buffalo, April 10. 

City is almost 100% holdover 
this session. “Carousel" is lone 
newcomer with smash takings at 
Century. “Man in Gray Flannel 
Suit" shapes great-in second week 
at the Center while “Alexander 
the Great" at the Buffalo and 
“Anything Goes” at Paramount 
also are doing w’ell in first hold¬ 
over rounds, “Cinerama Holiday" 
looms bright in 10th frame at the 
Teck. 

Estimates for This Week 

Buffalo (Loew) (3,000; 60-$D— 
“Alexander the Great" (UA) (2d j 
wk). Nice $15,000. Last week, 
$ 25 , 000 . 

• Paramount (Par) (3,000; 60-$l): 

(Continued on page 20) 1 


PICTOtK GROSSES 


Post-Holiday Lull, Storm Hits B’way; 
lan’ 29G, ‘Ballet’ 16G, Ace New Pix; 
Lanza 170G, ‘Alex’ 45G, Wayne 46G 


There’s the expected post-holi¬ 
day week lull setting in on Broad¬ 
way firstrun. theatres in the cur¬ 
rent session although there was no 
complaint over trade up until 
Sunday (8). Surprise snowstorm 
on that day crippled business at 
many houses although others held 
even or went ahead of Saturday’s 
trade. Rain on Saturday (7) night 
hurt the boxoffice in several in¬ 
stances. Generally, however, it 
was a close-to-normal Saturday. 
Springlike weather on Thursday- 
Friday proved a favorable factor 
until some rainfall Friday night. 

Tops of three newcomers on 
Broadway is “Man Who Never 
Was,” which hit a great $29,000 
opening week ended Monday night 
at the Victoria. Excellent ad cam¬ 
paign and bally were a great help 
on this pic. “Ballet of Romeo and 
Juliet" landed a sock $16,400' 
opening round at the arty Paris. 
“Come On" with vaudeville looks 
like a good $17,000 at the Palace. 

Still coin leader is the Music 
Hall with “Serenade" and Easter 
stageshow. The third session end¬ 
ing today (Wed.) looks to hit 
smash $170,000. 

Both the Capitol and Criterion 
are.off sharply from initial weeks 
but understandably so. “Alexan¬ 
der the Great" looms big $45,000 
or close in second round at the 
Cap while “The Conqueror" is 
heading for a great $46,000 or bet¬ 
ter in initial holdover frame at the 
Criterion. Second week of “Mir¬ 
acle in Rain" looks mild $12,000 at 
the State. 

“Anything Goes" held at good 
$40,000 in third round at the Par¬ 
amount. “Patterns" is holding 
with fair $10,000 in second May- 
fair session. “Meet Me in Las 
Vegas" continues smash with 
$24,000 for fourth frame at the 
Astor. It continues on as do the 
other two pix. 

“Carousel” wound up its six-day 
eighth week with nice $41,000 at 
the Roxy after soaring to $101,000 
in seventh. “Man in Gray Flannel 
Suit” opens with a benefit tomor¬ 
row night, regular run starting 
Friday (13). 

“Cinerama Holiday" wound its 
61-week run at the Warner with a 
terrific $67,800 in final eight-day 
round, one of tallest totals of en¬ 
gagement. It is being replaced by 
“Seven Wonders of World” today 
(Wed.) after invitational preem 
last night (Tues.). “Oklahoma” is 
heading for great $36,400 in cur¬ 
rent (26th) week at Rivoli where 
it soared to $45,900, over expect¬ 
ancy, in 25th stanza. 

Estimates for This Week 

Astor (City Inv.) (1,300; 75-$2)— 
“Meet Me in Las Vegas" (M-G) 
(5th wk). Fourth round ended last 
night (Tues.) was socko $24,000. 
Third was $29,000. Stays. 

Baronet (Reade) (430; $1.25- 

$1.50)—“Return of Don Camillo” 
(IFE) (3d wk). Second stanza end¬ 
ed Sunday (8) was big $5,300 after 
$6,200 in first. 

Bijou (Lopert) (603; $1.50-$1.80) 
“Richard III" (Indie) (5th wk). 
Fourth stanza concluded Sunday 
(8) was okay $13,000 after $16,000 
in third. 

Capitol (Loew) (4,820; $l-$2.50) 
—“Alexander the Great" (UA) (2d 
wk). First holdover session ending 
today (Wed.) looks like big $45,000 
or near. First week, $85,000, one 
of big figures for house at time of 
year. Holds again, naturally. 

Criterion (Moss) (1,700; 75- 

$2.20) — “The Conqueror" (RKO) 
(2d wk). Initial holdover week 
ending tomorrow (Thurs.) is head¬ 
ing for great $46,000 or better. 
First week, record $75,500. Con¬ 
tinues. 

_ Fine Arts (Davis) (468; 90-$1.80) 

“Diabolique" (UMPO) (21st wk). 
The 20th week ended Monday (9) 
was sockeroo $9,000 same as 19th 
round. “French <Can Can" 
(UMPO) opens April 16. 

Globe (Brandt) ’(1,500; 70-$1.50) 

“On Threshold of Space" (20th) 
(2d wk). Current round ending to¬ 
day (Wed.) likely will reach fancy 
$11,000 after $16,000 for opener. 
Stays. 

Guild (Guild) (450; $1-$1.75)— 
“Touch and' Go” (U) (4th wk). 
Third week ended Sunday (8) was 
fast $5,000 after $6,000 in second. 
Holds. 

Mayfair (Brandt) (1,736; 79- 

$1.80)—"Patterns" (UA) (3d wk). 
Second session ended Monday (9) 
was fair $10,000 after $13,500 
opening week. Continues for 
about four weeks in all. 

Normandie (Trans-Lux) (592; 95- 
$1,80)— “Fantasia" (BV) (reissue) 
,110th wk). Ninth week round up 
* Monday (9) was sturdy $5,300 fol¬ 


lowing $6,500 in eighth. “Lovers 
and Lollipops" (T-L) opens next 
week. 

Palace (RKO) (1,700; 50-$1.60)— 
“Come On" (AA) with vaudeville. 
Week ending tomorrow (Thurs.) is 
heading for good $17,000 or close. 
Last week, “Tribute To Bad Man" 
(M-G) plus vaude, $26,500. 

Paramount (ABC-Par) (3,664; 
$l-$2) — "Anything Goes” (Par) 
(4th wk). Third round ended last 
night (Tues.) was good $40,000 
aftqr $42,000 in second. Holds. 

Paris (Pathe Cinema) (568; 90- 
$1.80)—“Ballet of Romeo and Jul¬ 
iet" (Tohan) (2d wk). Initial stan¬ 
za ended Sunday (8) was socko 
$16,400, one of high marks at 
house. In ahead, “Letters From 
Windmill" (Indie) (15th wk), 
$ 6 , 000 . 

Radio City Music Hall (Rocke¬ 
fellers) (6,200; 95-$2 ; 75) — “Sere¬ 
nade" (WB) with Easter stageshow 
(3d wk). Current session, taking in 
four days of Easter holiday week 
looks to hit great $170,000, Last 
week, $197,500, over hopes. Stays. 

Rivoli (UAT) (1,545; $1.25-$3)— 
“Oklahoma" (Magna) (26th wk). 
Current week ending today (Wed.) 
is heading for great $36,400, with 
four extra shows! The 25th week, 
helped by six extra shows, hit 
$45,900, over hopes. 

Plaza (Brecker) (556; $1.50- 

$1.85)—“House of Ricardo" (Baker- 
Brill) (5th wk). Fourth stanza end¬ 
ed Monday (9) was smooth $6,700 
after $8,000 in third. Stays for 
awhile. 

Roxy (Nat’l. Th.) (5,717; 65-$2.40) 
—“Carousel" (20th) with iceshow 
onstage (8th-final wk). Stays six 
days in order to preem new pic to¬ 
morrow night. Final abbreviated 
week looks to reach nice $41,000. 
The seventh week was $101,000, 
considerably over hopes, to round 
out a highly successful run. “Man 
in Gray Flannel Suit" (20th) opens 
with March of Dimes benefit 
Thursday (12) night with regular 
run starting Friday (13). 

State (Loew's) (3,450f 78-$1.75)— 
“Miracle in Rain" (WB) (2d wk). 
Initial holdover round winding up 
next Friday (13) looks like mild 
$12,000 or thereabouts. First week 
was $24,000. 

Sutton (R&B) (561; $1-$1.80)— 
“Ladykillers" • (Cont) (8th wk). 
Seventh frame ended Monday (9) 
was. sockeroo $13,200 after $12,800 
in sixth. Stays indefinitely. 

Trans-Lux 52d St. (T-L) (540; $1- 
$1.50)—“Doctor At Sea” (Rep) (7th 
wk). Sixth session ended last 
night (Tues.) was smash $7,600 after 
$7,400 for fifth. Continues, 

Victoria (City Inv.) (1,060; 50-$2) 
—“Man Who Never Was" (20th) (2d 
wk). First round ended Monday 
(9> was great $29,000, considerably 
over expectancy. Holds, natch! 

Warner (Cinerama Prod.) (1,600; 
$1.20-$3.50) — “7 Wonders of 
World" (Indie). Opened yesterday 
(Tues.) with special invitational 
preview at night. Regular run 
starts today (Wed.). Ih ahead, 
“Cinerama Holiday"’* (Indie) (61st 
wk), soared to huge $67,800 In 8- 
day final session, highest reached 
in many weeks, combination .of 
closing week plus 7 shows boosting 
this to such a terrific figure. .This 
wound a smash run of a £ear and 
about two months. 

World (Times Film) (385; $1- 
$1.50) — “Last 10 Days" (Col). 
Opens today (Wed.). In ahead, 
“Dark River" (Indie) (7th wk», 
$2,400. 

‘Rock’ Rolling Smooth 
$20,000 in Dett; ‘South’ 
Hot 33G,‘0kla.’20G,8th 

• Detroit, April 10. 

With the exceptions of “Song of 
South,"- which is great at the 
Michigan, and “Rock Around 
Clock,’’ at the Palms, downtown 
■biz shape? slow with matinees way 
off as students return to school 
after Easter holidays. “Bold, and 
Brave’’ is fair at the Broadway- 
Capitol. Others are holdovers 
with “Picnic" looking tops in fifth 
week at the Medison. “Oklahoma" 
shapes great in eighth United Art¬ 
ists round. 

Estimates for This Week 
Fox (Fox-Detrolt) (5,000; $1- 
$1.25)—“Man in Gray Flannel" 
(20th) and “Glory" (RKO) (2d wk). 
Down to $17,000. Last week, 
$27,800. _ „ 

Michigan (United Detroit) (4.- 
000; $1-$1.25)—“Song of South" 
(BV) (reissue) and “Kettles in 
Ozarks” (U). Great $33,000. Last 
(Continued on page 20) 


Warner Bros, present the C.V.Whitney picture starring 


JOHN fVA 


THE STORY THAT SWEEPS FROM THE GREAT SOUTHWEST TO THE CANADIAN BORDER IN VISTK^ISON AND COLOR ByTECHNICOLOR 

JEFFREY HUNTER • VESA MILES • WARD BOND r NATALIE WOOD 

SCREEN PlAY BY FRANK $. NUGENT- executive producer MERIAN C.COOPER •ASSOCIATE PRODUCER PATRICK FORD directed by 4-time academy awaa 









Wednesday, April 11 ,%956 


PfiftlE'TY 



»«f JOHNFORD 















12 


INTERNATIONA!. 


PfiniETY 


'VARIETY'S' LONDON OFFICE ‘ 
t St. Martin's Place, Trafalgar Square 


Brit. Pix Biz to Know Outcome Of 
Huge Tax Relief Drive Next Week 

4—--- 2 - 


By HAROLD MYERS 

London, April 10. 

There is exactly one week to go 
before all segments of British show 
business learn the outcome of their 
campaigns for admission tax relief. 
Next Tuesday (17), the Chancellor 
of.the Exchequer, Harold MacMil¬ 
lan, will make his budget state¬ 
ment in the House of Commons, 
and will give his answer to ihe 
most concerted trade agitation car¬ 
ried out Kn years. 

On his budget, depends the fate 
of many independently owned pic¬ 
ture theatres. The last annual re-, 
port of the Cinematograph Exhibi¬ 
tors Assn, showed that one out of 
10 were operating at a loss and 
were holding on only in hope of 
getting tax relief. If the Chancel¬ 
lor should reject* the industry’s 
overtures, many of these cinemas, 
will be forced to go dark in a few 
months. . 

Case for the picture industry 
represents a united appeal by the 
four major trade associations, 
which have plotted their campaign 
for many months. Their claims is 
a bold one, and although the 
amount of relief sought has been 
kept secret, it is generally ac¬ 
cepted they’ve asked the Treasury 
to halve the incidence of admis¬ 
sion duty and give a concession 
which would cost the Exchequer 
around $50,000,000 in a full year. 
(In the hope of obtaining mass sup¬ 
port from rank and file .Members 
of Parliament, they’ce circulated 
dstails of their case to M.P.'s, as 
well as the. press.) 

Local branches ofHhe CEA have, 
been meeting with their local reps 
in Parliament to underline the urg¬ 
ency of the claim. It’s generally 
accepted that there’s now an influ¬ 
ential body of opinions within, the 
House of Commons which, in prin¬ 
ciple, is supporting the industry. 

Also Vitay for Legit 

Next week's ' budget is also vital¬ 
ly important to. legit interests. 
Their claim for total abolition of 
the duty, at an annual cost to the 
Treasury of around $5,600,000, has 
already obtained overwhelming 
support from M.P/’s. A substantial 
majority of the House has indi¬ 
cated it favors the tax abolition 
for the legit theatre. 

In their representations to the 
Chancellor, legit managers, with 
the support of Equity, the Variety 
Artists Federation and others, have 
focussed attention on the number 
of theatres which have been forced 
to shutter in recently, suggesting 
that many more would follow suit 
unless relief is granted. 


Finnish War Pic Big 
Hit in Sweden; Inked 
As Cannes Fest Entry 

Helsinki, April 3. 

The Finnish war story film, 
“The Unknown Soldier,” has bro¬ 
ken records all over Sweden. In. 
Stockholm it scored, a 10-week 
success at the firstrun' Anglais, and 
distributed in 20 copies, wh